The Secretary
by xMorbidxAngelx
Summary: **HIATUS** In which Sesshoumaru is convinced that he needs a new secretary and Inuyasha and Inutaisho offer to help.
1. Chapter 1

I

If anyone was ever curious enough to ask, Sesshoumaru could pinpoint the exact moment his life changed with absolute clarity and without any hesitation. He knew exactly who was to blame for that change and he knew that he would forever be grateful for it. His life had fallen into a routine that he had followed for as long as he could remember. There was never any change to how he lived and what he did from day to day, but that was before the change, before the obstruction to his favoured routine and before his life was turned upside down.

It had all started the day his father had pestered him to get a new secretary and from then on, things had started to change subtly as his routine became disrupted and replaced by a new one.

'You need a new secretary, Sesshoumaru' Inutaisho said seriously, looking at his eldest son who sat on one side of the breakfast table beside his stepmother.

'I already have one, father,' Sesshoumaru deadpanned.

'She can barely type, Sesh,' Inuyasha exclaimed from across the table. 'She spends all her time looking after those red talons of hers and not enough doing work that actually helps you. I bet she doesn't even know what you do for a living.'

'What she cannot manage, I can do myself,' Sesshoumaru replied, trying hard to get out of having this conversation.

'You'll give yourself too much work if you do the work your secretary is supposed to do for you,' Inutaisho objected. 'You work too much as it is.'

'I work no more than you or Inuyasha.'

'You're covering for a useless woman!' Inuyasha said loudly, dropping his cutlery on the table as he focused on his brother. 'You probably only keep her around because she looks good.'

Sesshoumaru glared at his brother and carefully put his cutlery down on his empty plate. 'I couldn't care less if she's good to look at or not. I have no time to sit and go through piles of résumés just to find someone to replace something I already have.'

'What if someone else could find one for you?' his stepmother, Izayoi, asked from beside him. 'Surely your father and brother would be willing to help?'

'We should have just done that in the beginning,' Inuyasha muttered as he resumed his meal. 'You're a poor judge of character, Sesh.'

Sesshoumaru stood up and thanked his stepmother for the meal before departing without another word. As he slid into his car and set off for his office, he thought over the conversation again. He knew his father and brother were right, but he was too stubborn to admit that. His secretary was quite useless. Her nails were so long that she could barely hold a pen, let alone type the letters he gave her and she spent most of her day preening herself, which meant that even if she could type, she probably wouldn't anyway. It was frustrating, but knowing better than to argue with a woman after having to concede defeat in the arguments he had had with his stepmother and sister-in-law, he decided that it would be simpler and probably faster to do the work himself and leave her to simply sit outside his office to do whatever she felt would occupy her suitably.

His eye twitched slightly as he walked towards his office and found her lounging in her seat in an outfit that was utterly unsuitable for the office while she cracked her gum noisily as she flipped through the pages of a magazine. She didn't look up when he walked past and Sesshoumaru knew that she would not come in a short while later to bring him his mail and pass on messages as she was supposed to do. No, she would come in with a stupid grin on her face and try her hardest to flirt with him as she handed him his coffee. It was sickening, just like her coffee. Everything about her made his skin crawl and there was nothing appealing in the slightest. Her hair was dyed a stupid red colour that didn't look natural at all and her cheeks were bright pink in a failed attempt at using the blusher in her makeup palette. What was worse was the way her lips were always bright red and she would pout so outrageously that it always reminded him of a fish. Sesshoumaru knew nothing about makeup, but even he knew that she really ought to find someone to do her makeup for her. If the woman donned a brightly coloured costume and rather large shoes, she could easily pass for a clown missing from a circus.

Sure enough, no sooner had Sesshoumaru sat down in his chair, the door swung open and the woman he had just been mentally criticising sashayed into the room with a mug of coffee in one hand. Seeing her standing up made him decide that her outfit was even more inappropriate than he had first though. Her skirt reached mid thigh and the shirt she wore revealed far too much cleavage for polite society. Sighing to himself, he looked down at the paperwork he had left on his desk the day before lest the woman mistake his look of disgust for one of lust since she always gave the impression that she was lacking in the intelligence department.

'Any messages?' Sesshoumaru asked curtly, glancing at the coffee she placed on his desk and suppressed a shudder.

'Nope,' the woman said with a shrug.

'Thank you.'

Sesshoumaru was mildly amused to hear a disappointed huff before the woman stalked out of the office and slammed the door behind her. Once she had gone, he got to his feet and walked over to the window to pour the coffee out as he did every day. He was fairly sure that it was the coffee that was killing the plants just below since the grounds men frequently complained to his father about one section of shrubbery dying for no apparent reason, but he was also sure that he would die if he drank that evil looking drink the woman made him every morning. Sighing to himself, he picked up his pen and looked down at the papers before him. They weren't anything difficult and they didn't require anything other than a signature, but Sesshoumaru pushed them aside after a moment as he cast his pen aside to lean back in his chair and look thoughtfully out the window.

His father had worked hard all his life to become president of a publishing company and while he maintained his position at the top, he had delegated responsibilities to his sons. Half of the company and half of the responsibilities went to Inuyasha who managed the department where a popular magazine was printed while Sesshoumaru took the other half of the company which revolved around publishing novels he thought could fetch a decent sum of money. The difference between the two roles were rather large and there were times that Sesshoumaru was very glad that he had the quieter and less rushed job. In his department, there were three other editors and they had divided the clients between them all so the work was equally spread. Truth be told, Sesshoumaru was proud of his department. The other editors had become quite close friends of his and they all worked hard so there was never any reason to complain about them. In actual fact, the only person in the whole department who proved to be of no use in any way was his own secretary although this fact seemed to have escaped her notice.

A knock at the door brought him out of his reverie and moments later, the other three editors stepped into the room. They chatted amicably amongst themselves as they prepared themselves for the weekly meeting with their head of department and Sesshoumaru once again felt a swell of pride at how efficient his department was. He knew that everything that was supposed to be done over the past week had been done without even asking. The three people were at ease and there was nothing to suggest that any of them had had any difficulty in accomplishing their goals over the course of the week.

'Any new clients this week, Sesh?' one of them asked, his blue eyes twinkling excitedly at the prospect.

'None this week, Kouga,' Sesshoumaru replied. 'I have a couple of manuscripts I can pass on to you if you're that desperate for work.'

'You wouldn't give the work to him,' another man, Miroku, put in with a grin.

'He'd do something wrong,' a feminine voice said teasingly.

'Ayame! I'm offended that you doubt my abilities so much!' Kouga exclaimed in mock anger.

'I heard Inuyasha say something about you getting a new secretary,' Miroku said in an exaggerated whisper as he looked at Sesshoumaru with a grin.

'It's about time!' Ayame said in an exasperated voice and then grinned. 'Anyone is better than the one you have now. Maybe if you get someone new, you'll be able to stop killing your plants?'

Sesshoumaru smirked. 'At the very least, I hope that the coffee will be better.'

'You're not against getting a new one?' Kouga asked in surprise. 'You've always been adamant that the one you have is fine.'

'My father and Inuyasha are looking for her replacement, so I'm not going to complain if they're going to do the work for me.'

'You're letting your father choose your secretary?' Miroku demanded. 'Have you seen the kind of women he chooses?! You'll end up with a bad tempered old hag if you're not careful.'

'Inuyasha wouldn't let that happen,' Ayame stated.

'No,' Kouga agreed as he grinned wickedly at Sesshoumaru. 'If Inuyasha has anything to do with it, you'll have a temptress instead. You won't be getting any work done either way. You should've just chosen yourself.'

'Kagome would scalp him if he chose a woman based on her looks,' Miroku said with a laugh. 'You'll find that it's going to end up being Kagome and your father choosing her instead.'

'I don't care who it is,' Sesshoumaru said, shrugging nonchalantly. 'The whole business is tedious so if someone else wants to do it then they're welcome to it.'

'I hope you don't regret that decision,' Ayame said with a smile.

Rin Nakamura sighed to herself and took a deep breath as she gathered finally gathered enough courage to step out of her car. Leaning against it, she looked up at the enormous building before her and closed her eyes briefly. It looked like it was swaying in the breeze even though it wasn't anywhere near as tall as some of the other buildings she had seen. Trailing her gaze down the building, she counted ten floors before arriving at the ground floor. It was an inviting sort of place, she decided. Considering they printed their merchandise in the same building, she had been expecting a very old building that looked like it had been standing since the industrial revolution, but she was pleasantly surprised. It was definitely not new, but it was by no means outdated.

The building stood on the outskirts of the city centre and Rin was surprised by how peaceful the surroundings were despite being able to reach the ever-busy city centre in about five minutes. Lush green grass surrounded the building, well-kept flowerbeds lined the path she walked along, and neatly trimmed shrubbery sat against the walls beneath the ground floor windows. Rin smiled to herself as she approached the reception. She had been surprised to be selected for this job as most places deemed her over qualified, but she decided that she was definitely going to enjoy working here. She stepped through the door and glanced around before heading for the desk where a pretty woman was speaking to a tall man who seemed to be in some position of power in the company judging by the way they talked.

'Can I help you, Miss?' the woman asked, seeing Rin and smiling cheerfully.

'I was supposed to meet Mr. Takahashi this morning,' Rin explained, returning the smile and hoping she didn't sound as nervous as she felt.

'Which are you to meet?'

'There's more than one?' Rin asked in surprise before turning to look to her left when the man who the receptionist had been talking to chuckled lightly.

'There are three,' he said with a grin as he glanced at his watch. 'You must be Rin Nakamura.'

'Yes, sir. How did you know?'

'Don't worry, Makoto,' the man said as he grinned at the receptionist. 'I'll take it from here.'

The tall man led her away from the reception area and towards the elevator. Rin stood silently beside him as they ascended and wondered why it wasn't confusing to have three different people with the same name in the company. A flicker of irritation coursed through her as she wondered why they didn't tell her that little detail. If that man hadn't been present, she would have been stumped. She didn't know which Takahashi she was supposed to speak to since the letter she had received gave no first names. Grinning down at her, the man led the way out of the elevator when it came to a stop and Rin soon found herself seated in an enormous office.

'I apologise,' the man said as he sat down. 'I thought my son had made it clear in the letter who you were supposed to ask for when you arrived. Perhaps I shouldn't have asked him to take care of the details and done it myself.'

'It's not a problem!' Rin said quickly, smiling slightly as she wondered what to do. 'I was merely surprised. Does it not cause confusion?'

The man laughed. 'No. It's not confusing at all. I'm Inutaisho and I am the president of this company. The other two who go by the same name are the heads of the two departments that we have here and they are both my sons.'

'I see.' Rin looked thoughtful as she went over that information in her head before smiling at the president. 'So which was I supposed to see this morning?'

'That would be me,' Inutaisho replied with another grin. 'I delegate most of the work to my boys, but when I have a free moment, I like to greet our newest employees to make sure that they settle in well. One cannot be productive if one is uncomfortable.'

Rin nodded in agreement. 'It is an honour to meet you, sir. I had not expected to meet the president quite so soon.'

'We'll become good friends in no time. I will probably be seeing a lot of you since you will be replacing my son's secretary.'

'Replacing?'

'Indeed. Suffice it to say that his last secretary was not very suitable for the office environment,' Inutaisho said with a grimace as he remembered the woman. He lifted a hand to his face and shook his head as though remembering something unpleasant before looking at Rin plaintively. 'She could barely type. You can do that, can't you? Even if that's all you can do, it'll be a major improvement.'

'Of course, sir. I'm quite proficient with secretarial duties,' Rin said quietly, wondering why such a woman would have been employed in the first place.

'And that's why I chose you!' Inutaisho declared triumphantly. 'I have a meeting in a few minutes so I'll take you to meet your boss. I'll check back with you at the end of the day to find out how your first day went.'

The pair exited the office and Rin found herself in the elevator once again, but going down this time. When they reached the ground floor, she wondered where she would be working, but soon found herself being led through a door she had not noticed before. They passed through an empty seating area where a desk stood abandoned and Rin assumed that that would be her post. Beyond the waiting area was a set of enormous wooden double doors flanked by tall pot plants. Glancing around the room, she could see other varieties of flora in different places and looked questioning up at Inutaisho.

'My wife put those there. She said it would be too bare otherwise,' he said with a crooked grin before knocking sharply on the door and stepping inside without waiting for a response.

Rin stepped into the room behind Inutaisho and closed the door quietly behind her before looking around what she assumed was her employer's office. It was a big room, not quite as big as Inutaisho's, but still very large. The wall behind the desk was lined with windows that overlooked the front gardens and let the sunlight in to naturally light up the room. She glanced around surreptitiously and saw a sofa and two leather armchairs sitting in one corner of the room, which was where she supposed he met with his clients and various pictures hung from the wood panelled walls. Overall, she decided that the room seemed more like someone's study at home rather than an office. It was cosy and designed for comfort which was a good point as it would put aspiring writers who met this man more at ease when they met. She smiled to herself. This man was obviously very clever. Unfortunately, while the room was designed for comfort, she noted that it was not tidy. She glanced around and saw that nearly every available space had stacks of papers, manuscripts and books piled high on them.

Inutaisho whistled as he looked around before echoing Rin's thoughts about the state of the room. 'What happened here? It was fine when I was here last and now it looks like a bomb's hit it.'

The man who was to be her employer had yet to reveal himself and for a moment, Rin assumed that he wasn't present, but Inutaisho seemed to know better. The large chair that sat behind the equally large mahogany desk turned sharply when the older man spoke to reveal a younger man who bore a striking resemblance to Inutaisho. Rin saw briefly that there was yet another table behind the desk, which was where he had been working since his own desk was completely covered with papers. The man rose to his feet and stepped out from behind the desk to greet his father and Rin could marvel how similar the two were. She imagined that if the second son were present she would be looking at three versions of the same person.

'It is organised chaos,' the man said, his voice deep and gravelly as he shook his father's hand.

'I'm not sure how organised it is,' Inutaisho said quietly as he looked doubtfully at a pile of papers that were obviously mixed up. 'It certainly is chaos.'

'Since Akemi left, it was easier to have all the paperwork in one room. It wastes time running from one room to another.'

Inutaisho shook his head and turned to grin at Rin as he gestured to his son. 'This is my eldest son, Sesshoumaru. As you can see, he's in desperate need of some help. Sesh, this is Rin. She's your new secretary.'

'A pleasure to meet you,' Sesshoumaru murmured, shaking her hand as he looked her over critically. 'I look forward to working with you.'

'The pleasure is mine, sir,' Rin replied, smiling uncertainly. 'I will aid you to the best of my abilities.'

'Well, that's the introductions over with!' Inutaisho exclaimed cheerfully, clapping his hands together gleefully. 'I've got a meeting to get to so I'll be off. I'll come back later!'

The pair stood still and silent in the office as they watched Inutaisho wave at them over his shoulder before the door closed behind him, plunging the room into an awkward silence. Rin wondered what she was supposed to do now. Did she excuse herself and go set her equipment up at her desk or did she stay where she was to be told her duties? Her gaze lifted slightly and she looked over her employer as critically as he had looked her over. He certainly wasn't the type of person you would expect to find in an office. If she had seen him in a street, she would have assumed that he had a very exciting job instead of something as mundane as a desk job. He was as tall as his father which made her feel somewhat insignificant and his long silver hair was tied back at the nape of his neck. The sleeves of his shirt had been rolled up past his elbows and she could see strong arms which, when coupled with his broad shoulders and his lean frame, suggested that he was quite strong.

Sesshoumaru began speaking in that deep, gravelly voice as he explained what was required of her. Rin nodded as she took in his words, but mused that his voice sounded like he had been smoking for quite some time, but she saw no traces of anything that would suggest he smoked. She followed as he led her out to the area she had seen before and showed her the desk which she had already seen, but she didn't say anything. After a short while, he left her to organise her desk and while Rin put her stationary in the order she liked, she glanced into her employer's office briefly and found him pacing the room as he spoke into the telephone. While Sesshoumaru and his father looked very much alike, Rin could see that there was one major difference between the two of them. It was so obvious that even if they had been identical twins instead of father and son, she could have easily told them apart. Inutaisho was warm and friendly, he took charge of social situations and spoke enough to cover any awkwardness, but his son was different. Sesshoumaru didn't exude the same aura of warmth as his father did; he had an air of apathy about him that suggested very little in life actually interested him. He was polite but aloof and even his eyes, which were a warm amber colour, seemed to lack the life she had seen in Inutaisho's eyes. They were simply cold and blank which left one with the distinct impression that they were looking straight through you.

'Is there anything I can do to help?' Rin asked as she stepped into the office and waited patiently for the response.

'I suppose the paperwork should be put in order again,' Sesshoumaru murmured, almost as though he was talking to himself before making her jump slightly when he looked directly at her with his cold gaze. 'It wasn't supposed to get so mixed up, I apologise if this makes the job any harder.'

Rin shook her head. 'It's no trouble. It may take some time, but it should be fairly easy to put back in order. Is there a specific filing method you wish me to use?'

'As long as there will be no difficulties locating files I need, I have no preferences.'

Nodding, Rin moved over to the nearest stack of papers and began to slowly sift through her, her eyes scanning each sheet quickly for information that would help her categorize it. She was aware that Sesshoumaru had remained in place for a moment and simple stared at her back before he turned away and went back to the work he had been doing before the interruption. She sighed to herself as she wondered what kind of environment this would be to work in.

Initially, she thought it might be awkward, but as the hours passed and the pair worked silently, Rin discovered that it wasn't awkward at all. It became a comfortable silence and she decided that she was going to enjoy working here.


	2. Chapter 2

**II**

As much as he didn't want to admit it, Sesshoumaru knew that his life had been made much easier since Rin's arrival. The workload has lessened considerably and everything ran like clockwork. She was very good at what she did and her organisational skills were enviable. Weeks flew past and soon, Sesshoumaru realised that she had been working for him for nearly two months. It amazed him that he had been able to adapt to her presence so easily.

More often than not, she was at work well before him and already had the day's work laid out on his desk in order of importance. On the days she arrived later than him, Sesshoumaru would always see her arrive. He had learnt to recognise her car and would keep an eye out for it to arrive in the car park that sat just beyond the gardens outside his windows.

Eager to get on with his secretary and have as little conflict as possible, Sesshoumaru observed her silently when she was in the office and out of it. Rin had quickly befriended some of the other women and Sesshoumaru was interested to discover that they were from Inuyasha's department. Inutaisho had taken quite a liking to her and it seemed that she was more than happy to sit and listen to his rather long stories on a regular basis despite Sesshoumaru knowing how dull some of them were.

Inutaisho soon discovered that Sesshoumaru's department was working more efficiently than before and that Rin was the main reason for this change. It was early one morning when he came into Sesshoumaru's office and grinned at his son as though he were the happiest man on earth. Rin smiled to herself as she served both men coffee before retreating to her desk to make a start on the day's work. As Rin left the two men alone, Inutaisho sat down in the nearest chair and sipped the coffee before grinning and raising his mug.

"This is good," he said with a soft sigh as he looked around. "I see your office is no longer in a state of organized chaos. Am I to assume that it was Rin who filed away all your papers?"  
"It was a joint effort," Sesshoumaru replied quietly, glancing at his father over the top of a sheet of paper he'd been reading. "But yes, you have Rin to thank mostly."

Before Inutaisho could speak again, there was a knock at the door and the very woman they had been talking about peered around the door with an apologetic look on her normally cheerful face. The elder Taisho leapt to his feet and was about to take the petite woman's hands in his own when Sesshoumaru interrupted.

"Don't lay a finger on my secretary," he murmured, loud enough for everyone to hear and in a voice that held an icy edge that served as enough of a warning to make his father pause. "You're beginning to seem like a perverted old man, father."  
"That's uncalled for, Sesh!" Inutaisho said with a childish pout that Rin couldn't help but smile at.

Sesshoumaru dismissed his father's comment with a wave of his hand before looking at Rin. "Is there something the matter, Rin?"  
"No, sir," she replied quickly and turned to look at Inutaisho. "Your wife is looking for you, sir."

Inutaisho stared at her for a moment before groaning and covering his face with his hand. Sensing that his father had done something foolish, Sesshoumaru shook his head and went back to the papers he had been reading. Rin turned to go back to her desk, taking her lead from Sesshoumaru, when a hand closed around her elbow. Turning in surprise she found herself face to face with the elder Taisho, his expression showing a mixture of irritation and embarrassment.

"Would you mind doing an old man a favour, Rin?" he asked, smiling in a most disarming manner.

Rin floundered for a moment before looking over at Sesshoumaru for guidance. He seemed to sigh and then put down his papers as he leaned back in his chair and regarded the pair in the middle of the room with a bored expression.

"As long as it's nothing stupid you might as well do what he asks, Rin," Sesshoumaru advised with a tone that sounded as bored as he looked. "The sooner he gets what he wants, the sooner he leaves me alone to get some work done."  
"Come with me Rin, I need your opinion on something. I'm sure Sesh can spare you for an hour or so."

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Less than ten minutes later, Rin found herself standing in a jewellery store and faced with the biggest selection of expensive jewellery she had ever seen. Looking around with wide eyes, she paused when she found Inutaisho looking at her with a charming smile.

"I was supposed to meet Izayoi yesterday morning but I had to cancel and then I forgot that I had rescheduled it to today," the older man explained sheepishly.

"Why am I now standing here then, sir?" Rin asked politely, raising an eyebrow as she looked at him.

"I was hoping you could help me choose a peace offering?" Inutaisho suggested hopefully. "Something nice that'll take her mind off the fact that I stood her up?"

Rin smiled slightly and shook her head. "If you are looking for a gift, sir, I believe it would be best for you to choose it yourself. I have never met your wife, I've only spoken to her on the phone."

"She'll be so angry with me! Have pity on an old man, Rin!"

"I will help you, sir, but I will not choose it for you."

Inutaisho sighed but nodded before leading Rin out of the store and back towards the office building. They headed up to Inutaisho's office and sat quietly for some moments before the older man smiled.

"I know you're right, Rin," he said slowly. "But she's going to be so angry with me."

"That's to be expected, sir. Why not just get her a simple gift and apologise?"

Inutaisho's eyes lit up at the idea. "Do you think that will be better than buying her a fancy gift then?"

"I couldn't say, sir. From my own point of view, I'd far rather receive a simple gift and an apology or even just the apology on its own."

Rin left the office and made her way down towards Sesshoumaru's offices on the ground floor. As she took the stairs, it took her longer to get back but when she did, she knocked on the door and put her head around it to tell Sesshoumaru she was back. Her jaw nearly dropped when she found Inutaisho sitting casually in a chair and grinning like a Cheshire cat.

"Ah, Rin!" Inutaisho exclaimed, grinning at her expression. "What took you so long?"

"I-I took the stairs," she replied, still unsure what to make of the situation.

"You're so much younger than me! You should make short work of those stairs."

"I will not have my secretary racing up and down stairs, father," Sesshoumaru told his father quietly, nodding at Rin as he spoke. "If any kind of harm befalls her, I will hold you responsible."

Inutaisho grinned as he dismissed his son's threat and was forced to smother a chuckle when he saw Rin blush before hastily retreating from the room.

"You made the girl blush, Sesh," he said with a chuckle.

"Don't read too deeply into that or what I say."

"Would I do that?"

Sesshoumaru paused and put his pen down as he looked up and met his father's gaze. The older man was doing his best to maintain an innocent expression but failing miserably as he tried to hide the smile tugging his lips. If he didn't know that his father was very likely to read too deeply into a simple statement and blow it out of proportion, Sesshoumaru might have found the situation amusing.

As it was, his mind urged caution and Sesshoumaru squashed humour flat. He couldn't underestimate his father's abilities to twist any situation to his advantage. After all, Inutaisho had been president of the company for longer than Sesshoumaru had been alive and he was very good at what he did despite his behaviour.

"Let's get one thing straight, father," Sesshoumaru said seriously, pushing his papers aside and clasping his hands together on the desk in front of him. "Rin is a lovely woman and her help over the past two months has been invaluable. However, Rin has a life of her own beyond these walls. I am not interested in the slightest in what my secretary does outside working hours in the same way she has no interest in what I do when I'm not in the office. This relationship is purely business and it will stay that way."

Inutaisho sighed and shifted in his seat. "You have no life beyond these walls, Sesshoumaru. You may have your own apartment, but do not think for one moment that I don't know what my sons do when they're not at work."

"That sounds ominous. You make yourself sound like a stalker."

"Try concerned father instead. Inuyasha has the right work / life balance, but you are leaning far too much towards work. The work will not disappear if you leave the office at 5.30pm like the rest of us. Nor will it vanish if you don't arrive until 9am."

"Father, how many times must we have this conversation?" Sesshoumaru muttered and pulled his papers back towards him, indicating that he would no longer participate in the conversation.

x-x-x-x-x-x

Days became weeks and Rin became increasingly concerned about the atmosphere in the office. Inutaisho had not been to visit his son since the day he had asked for her help choosing a peace offering for his wife. After she had left the two men to their conversation, she recalled hearing slightly raised voices although she could not make out what was being said.

Deciding that professionalism was the best course of action, she had attempted to ignore whatever argument was taking place in her employer's office. She had smiled politely when Inutaisho had walked out of Sesshoumaru's office with a frown on his normally cheerful face. He paused beside her desk and looked as though he were going to ask her a question but chose to remain silent. He had left the office and hadn't been back since.

It was not specifically Inutaisho's absence that caused her to worry but Sesshoumaru's behaviour since that day. He had never been particularly talkative, but he seemed to have become even more reclusive and curt when speaking to others. Even the other editors who she knew to be his friends had commented on it when they left his office after a meeting. He was working himself far too hard and she couldn't quite see the reason why.

Sighing to herself, Rin leaned back in her chair and reached for the diary that sat on the corner of her desk. It was the hard copy version of Sesshoumaru's electronic calendar and she wondered if there were any new deadlines or appointments that had been added to the diary that were not on the electronic version. She flipped through the pages and found no answers. Everything matched what was staring back at her from her computer screen.

"Rin, please come to my office," Sesshoumaru's voice startled her from her thoughts.

She stared at the intercom for a moment before rising to her feet and picking up her notebook and his diary. There were no meetings scheduled for the rest of the week and there had been no meetings recently that she would be required to write up the minutes for. Completely at a loss for the reason for her summons, Rin knocked on the door and pushed it open.

"You called for me, sir?" she asked, trying to hide her surprise at how haggard he looked.

Across the desk, Sesshoumaru glanced up at her and gestured for her to sit down. Dark shadows were clearly visible beneath his eyes and a small stack of empty coffee containers suggested that he had far too much caffeine in his system. The top few buttons of his shirt were undone and his tie hung lose around his neck. All in all, it was shocking for Rin who had never seen him look anything other immaculate.

"Could you type up and send out these letters please?" Sesshoumaru asked, picking up a small pile of papers and passing them to her. "They need to be done by close of business today please."

Rin nodded and made a note in her notebook. "Not a problem. Was there anything else?"

Silence fell in the room as Sesshoumaru stared at her for a moment before sighing and reaching over the edge of his chair. He placed a small box on the edge of his desk and gave her a vaguely apologetic look.

"Would you be able to send these back to their authors please?" he placed a sheet of paper on the desk in front of her. "This is a list of which manuscript belongs to which author and there's also these letters to go with each manuscript."

Nodding, Rin ran her eyes down the list and began to understand why Sesshoumaru looked as haggard as he did. For whatever reason, he had thrown himself into his work and the small pile of manuscripts suggested that he had been reading for quite some time. Each manuscript had a note taped to the front of it with a brief letter he had penned for each author. Sesshoumaru had clearly been very busy.

Raising her eyes, she found that he was once again immersed in his work and didn't seem to have noticed that she hadn't moved from her seat. Sighing inwardly, she rose to her feet and moved around the desk to pick up the box of manuscripts from where they sat at Sesshoumaru's elbow.

"Do you need any help carrying those?" he asked, not looking up from the note he was writing.

"No, sir. I can manage." Rin paused to scoop up the disposable coffee cups before glancing back at him. "Is there anything else you need, sir?"

"That's all for the moment, thank you."


	3. Chapter 3

**III**

A few of weeks later, Rin walked into the office just after 7am and sighed to herself as she shrugged her jacket off and hung it on the back of her chair. It was much earlier than she would normally would normally arrive in the office, but if she had any hope of sorting Sesshoumaru's papers into piles of a reasonable size so he didn't work quite so hard, she had to get to the office before him.

Pouring herself a cup of coffee, she took a sip and placed it on the coaster beside her computer. She turned on her computer and then turned towards the door beside her desk. It was time to face the piles of paperwork on Sesshoumaru's desk. He had left long after her the day before so she prepared herself for a mountain of paperwork.

Rin blinked in surprise as she discovered the drapes in Sesshoumaru's office had been drawn closed. That was new. Shrugging off her surprise, she pushed the heavy drapes open and threw the windows open to let in the fresh morning air. Turning on her heels, she smoothed her hands down the sides of her skirt as she stared at the mess of papers on the desk. Sighing to herself, Rin reached for the nearest stack of papers and began sifting through them carefully.

"What are you doing, Rin?" a hoarse male voice queried from the other side of the room. "What time is it?"

Jumping in surprise, Rin spun around on the spot and grasped the edge of Sesshoumaru's desk as she searched the room for the source of the voice. She would recognise the gravelly voice anywhere, but she couldn't fathom how Sesshomaru could be in the same room as her without her noticing him arriving.

On the far side of the room, Sesshoumaru was lying on the sofa behind the door. His long legs were propped up against one of the arms and he looked as though he had just woken up. His hair had slipped from its usual clasp and his clothes were dishevelled. Pushing himself up into a sitting position on the sofa, he looked over at her and raised an eyebrow at her stunned expression.

Rin cleared her throat and pushed herself upright. "It's 7.15am, sir."

"You're early today," Sesshoumaru murmured, leaning back against the sofa and rubbing his eyes wearily.

"No earlier than usual, sir."

Silence fell over the pair and Rin stared at the man through narrowed eyes. He had quite clearly spent the night in his office and she was less than impressed. There was dedication to the job and then there was stupidity. In her opinion, this clearly fell into the realm of stupidity. Without a word, she walked out of the room and returned moments later with a cup of coffee.

"Thank you."

"What would you like for breakfast, sir?"

Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow and looked up at her. "I'm sorry?"

"I'd hazard a guess that you probably haven't eaten since yesterday. Do you have a preference for what you'd like for breakfast?"

When Sesshoumaru shook his head, Rin gave him a smile and left the room. She paused to pick up her purse before leaving the building in search of food. After wandering up and down the aisles of the local supermarket for a while, she returned to the office just as most of the other employees in the building were arriving at work.

"Good morning, Rin," a pleasant voice greeted her as she walked past the elevator.

Inutaisho stood beside the elevator, watching her head towards the corridor that lead to Sesshoumaru's office. He raised his eyebrows as he looked her over. She was carrying none of the usual things that she did when she first arrived at the office for the day which suggested that she had been in the office already this morning.

"Good morning, sir," Rin replied, smiling cheerfully as she paused.

"You're early today. I hope my son's workaholic tendencies aren't wearing off on you?" the older man asked with a vague smile.

Rin paused before responding. Somehow Inutaisho's statement and demeanour didn't come across as friendly as he would probably have hoped. The fact that he had mentioned that his son was a workaholic already made her decide to tread cautiously. She doubted Sesshoumaru would thank her if she returned to the office with his father in tow.

"Not at all, sir. I have a lot to do today and wanted to get a head start."

"As I said to Sesshoumaru not long ago, the work will not disappear if it's not done immediately."

"Thank you for your concern, sir. I'll bear that in mind. Please excuse me?" Rin smiled politely and slipped away before he could reply.

"You didn't need to buy me breakfast, Rin," Sesshoumaru stated as he sat behind his desk with a cup of coffee in his hand.

Rin glanced at her employer but chose not to reply straightaway. In the time it took her to find a suitable breakfast for him, Sesshoumaru had showered and dressed for the day. She realised that he had a personal bathroom complete with a shower through one of the doors leading out of his office. The perks of being the boss.

Shaking her head, she put a bowl of fresh fruit on the desk in front of him beside a small plate of biscuits. He looked as though he had just arrived for the day and she sighed to herself as she wondered how often he had spent the night in his office.

"Your first meeting this morning is at 9am with your father," Rin replied, ignoring his statement as she scanned the diary. "Is there anything you need for the meeting, sir?"

Realising that she wasn't going to comment on the events of the morning so far, Sesshoumaru leaned back in his chair and gestured for her to sit down in the chair on the opposite side of his desk.

"I won't be mentioning this to your father, sir," Rin murmured as she sat down elegantly and took great care to smooth her skirt across her knees.

Sesshoumaru smirked. "I didn't think you would, Rin. I would like to reassure you that I don't make a habit of spending the night in the office."

He nearly smiled as a look of relief briefly crossed Rin's face before she became her professional self again. Sesshoumaru admired her professionalism as she smiled politely and nodded before dropping her gaze to the untouched bowl of fruit. Recognising her look as being similar to his stepmother's when she felt he wasn't eating enough, he leaned forward and picked up an apple.

Rin smiled as she watched him bite into apple. For some absurd reason she was very relieved that he didn't sleep in his office often, but she still wondered why he had felt the need to do so. Sensing his intense gaze on her, she fought down the blush that threatened to creep over her cheeks and cleared her throat as she got to her feet. Sesshoumaru might not be as welcoming as his father, but he was a handsome man and when he looked at her so intently, she couldn't help but feel flustered.

"Would you like some more coffee before your meeting?" she asked, spotting his empty cup and reaching toward it.

Sesshoumaru nodded and watched as she turned to leave the office. "Thank you, Rin."

With another smile, she was gone and Sesshoumaru was almost certain he had seen a blush on her face. Rin didn't often break her professional persona, but he was beginning to realise that it was easy to fluster her. It was amusing how she had tried so hard to fight off the blush that had eventually stained her cheeks a pretty pink and Sesshoumaru began to wonder what other kind of reactions she would have if he were to pay more attention to her.

"Morning, Sesh," Inutaisho's voice broke through his thoughts.

"Good morning, father."

Sesshoumaru got to his feet and walked around his desk to greet his father. They had spoken very little since the conversation they had had some weeks ago and Sesshoumaru was not entirely surprised to hear the distinct lack of enthusiasm in his father's voice as they exchanged pleasantries.

"Did you know that Rin was in the office well before everyone else this morning?" Inutaisho commented, reaching for one of the bananas in the bowl Rin had left on the desk. "The security guard mentioned that she was in shortly after 7am."

Sesshoumaru nodded. "Yes, I'm aware of this."

"You didn't ask her to come in that early did you?"

"Of course not, father. As I mentioned in our last discussion, Rin has a life outside of the work she does here. I don't know what she does in her spare time and I'm not particularly interested, but I'd hazard a guess that she has family and would spend her spare time with them."

Inutaisho looked thoughtful as he put the banana skin in the bin. "Does she have children?"

"I wouldn't know, father. I haven't asked."

"Sesh, she's been your secretary for nearly four months now. Do you know anything about her beyond her capabilities at work?"

"We've never had that sort of discussion."

"You're far too private, Sesh. If you let her, I'm sure Rin would be able to help with other aspects of your life as well."

"Such as?"

"I don't know. Organising holidays for you maybe?"

"I don't take holidays, father."

"No, of course not. That's a bad example. How about arranging a maid for your apartment then? Someone to clean your windows, wash your car. That sort of thing."

Sesshoumaru sighed as he pushed aside the now empty plate that biscuits had sat on not long ago. While speaking to his father, he had finished them off without realising it. He never normally ate biscuits and was surprised that he'd eaten as many as he had. Clearing his throat, he ignored the knowing look on his father's face and the grin he was trying to hide.

"I'm sure Rin would do an admirable job of all that and more, but I don't need that. I'm perfectly capable of arranging those sort of things myself."

Long after his father had left his office, Sesshoumaru found that he kept replaying the conversation in his mind. It was now well after midday and he sighed, sitting back in his chair and tapping his pen against his desk as he tried to sort through his thoughts.

His father was correct, he was a private individual. He didn't have anything against Rin and would probably share any information about his personal life with her should she ask, but there was little to tell and she had shown no interest. Whether this was to maintain a professional relationship or simple disinterest, he didn't know and didn't really care. The relationship they had was comfortable and there was no need to break the status quo.

Almost as though she knew Sesshoumaru was thinking about her, Rin knocked on the door and slipped into his office a moment later. She had her bag over her shoulder and looked slightly awkward as she moved further into the room.

"I'm heading out for lunch," Rin stated, gesturing to the clock on the wall. "Was there anything I could bring back for you, sir? You haven't eaten since this morning."

Smirking, Sesshoumaru sat back in his chair. "No, thank you. I've only just managed to work my way through that bowl of fruit. Enjoy your lunch."

"Thank you, sir."

Spinning his chair around to face the windows, Sesshoumaru stared across the car park and waited to see Rin cross to her car. He surprised himself by doing so, but as he couldn't concentrate on his work at the moment, he figured he might as well find something else to do. As he began to question himself for wanting to watch his secretary walk across the car park, Rin stepped out of the building and smiled happily.

Confused, Sesshoumaru looked around to see what had caused her such happiness and his gaze fell on a dark car that was sitting just beside her own. One of the car's rear doors flew open and a child dashed out, heading towards Rin. Sesshoumaru stared in surprise as Rin wrapped her arms around the child and kissed the boy's cheek affectionately. His surprise increased when a tall man unfolded himself from the driver's seat and walked casually over to the pair.

From this angle, Sesshoumaru couldn't see the man's face, but he was at least a head taller than Rin and had dark hair cut into a short, messy style. The man stopped beside her and reached down to ruffle the child's hair as he spoke to Rin. Whatever he said clearly amused Rin and she laughed happily. Leaning toward her, the man kissed her cheek and squeezed her shoulders in an obvious display of affection.

"She looks very happy, doesn't she?" a voice interrupted his thoughts.

Glancing over his shoulder, Sesshoumaru found his father standing on the other side of the desk, watching the same scene with a smile. Sighing to himself, Sesshoumaru turned to face his father.

"Is there a specific reason why you're continually bringing Rin up in our conversations, father?" he asked, eyes narrowing with suspicion.

Inutaisho shrugged and grinned. "What can I say, I like her."

"You are married, father, and she's far too young for you," Sesshoumaru retorted, deliberately misunderstanding his father's words.

"Not like that, you fool," the older man grinned as he sat down.

"Well you can like her as much as you want as long as you don't try any matchmaking. I know that you had a large part in Inuyasha and Kagome's relationship."

While his father laughed off the comment, Sesshoumaru glanced out the window. Rin had disappeared and most likely with the man he had seen since the car had gone too. He couldn't help but wonder who the man was. Was he her husband? No, there wasn't a ring on Rin's finger. The child could be hers though, couldn't it? Just because she wasn't married didn't mean she didn't have children.

"Speaking of Inuyasha," Inutaisho commented casually, breaking Sesshoumaru's train of thought. "The magazine is doing a photo shoot at the house this weekend for some article or another. Inuyasha mentioned that the three of us need to be there and ready to be interviewed. Can't see why he'd want to feature us in the magazine, but just thought I'd warn you."

"So I have to give up my Saturday to one of Inuyasha's daft ideas?" Sesshoumaru sighed. "Very well. Have him pass the details to Rin and I'll sort it out."

"You're going to ask Rin to help?"

"I can manage this myself."

"Of course."

"See you on Saturday, father."


	4. Chapter 4

**AN:** Thank you for your lovely reviews :)

It has been quite some time since I have written any kind of story - fan fiction or otherwise. Quite why it's taken me so long to get back to doing it is beyond me. I am still trying to get back into the habit of writing and trying to incorporate everything I've learnt about writing into how I write at the same time. It doesn't always work out how I'd like it to, but practice makes perfect supposedly! So please bear with me while I try to get back into the swing of writing.

This chapter isn't at all how I'd planned it and it's considerably longer than expected, but hopefully that's not a bad thing! Anyhow, enjoy!

xMxAx

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

 **Chapter IV**

Saturday dawned bright but cold. Rin sighed to herself as she pulled her jacket tighter around her and closed her car door behind her. She wasn't in the habit of working on Saturdays, but given how much Sesshoumaru had been working lately, she wasn't keen to let him do all the work for this particular event on his own. It had taken some persuasion, but she had finally managed to convince Sesshoumaru to let her handle the details for the day.

Neither Rin nor Sesshoumaru were any wiser on what kind of event this was that Inuyasha had arranged or why it was so important, but if Inutaisho had been roped into it as well, it must be important. Sesshoumaru had suggested that Rin meet him at the office and then they would go to his father's home together and while she had initially been hesitant, it was obvious that it would be the best thing to do.

Rin stood beside her car in the empty car park outside the office building and looked around. She had arrived slightly earlier than the 9am time that they had agreed, but decided that she would rather be early than late. Glancing down at her clothes, she wondered if she was dressed appropriately for the occasion. Sesshoumaru had said that office dress was not necessary but she still wondered if she was too smartly dressed in her dark blue jeans and pretty pink blouse. Deciding that it didn't make any difference since she was simply Sesshoumaru's secretary, she looked down at her watch and wondered where Sesshoumaru was.

A dark car pulled up beside Rin's car and Sesshoumaru stepped out, nodding a greeting when he saw her standing on the other side of her car. He was also dressed casually and Rin marvelled at the sight. His usual suit had been replaced by dark trousers and a blue button-up shirt that was a stark contrast to his silver hair which hung loose down his back. It wasn't the most casual outfit Rin had ever seen a man wear, but she supposed he couldn't afford to be too casual since they didn't know what was happening today. Not only that, she somehow doubted that he had anything more casual in his wardrobe. He didn't seem the type to wear jeans and a t-shirt.

'Good morning, sir,' Rin greeted with a smile as she walked around her car.

'Morning, Rin. You haven't been waiting long?' he asked, glancing down at his watch.

'No, sir. I've only been here about five minutes.'

Sesshoumaru nodded and gestured to the car. 'Shall we face Inuyasha's plans? There's nothing you need from the office?'

'No, sir. There was not much I could do to prepare for this event. It shall have to be a surprise, I think.'

Sesshoumaru sighed to himself as he slid into the car beside Rin. The last thing he wanted to be doing on a Saturday was taking part in one of Inuyasha's wild plans, but he had no other plans so couldn't refuse. It had surprised him when Rin had volunteered to come along to help him if she could. He hadn't expected her to work over the weekend, but he supposed it wasn't too surprising since she had been helping him with more and more tasks since she discovered the night he spent in the office.

Smirking to himself, he remembered her behaviour since that unfortunate day when she had found him asleep on the sofa. Over the years he had spent many nights in his office, but none of his secretaries were any the wiser. He supposed that the fact that Rin had discovered this was simply because she was more efficient at her job since she had come in exceptionally early that morning.

Glancing at her from the corner of his eye, Sesshoumaru noted that she was looking out of the window and observing the passing scenery with interest. It always came as a surprise to people to know that his parents did not live in the wealthiest neighbourhood in town although they could easily afford it. They instead chose one of the quieter neighbourhoods on the edge of town and they had lived there for as long as he could remember. Inuyasha had been born and raised in that house and Sesshoumaru could remember no other childhood home.

'What do you think Inuyasha has planned, sir?' Rin asked eventually, turning her attention to him.

'I really couldn't say,' Sesshoumaru replied with a quiet sigh. 'It's probably some sort of article to feed the gossip hungry masses.'

Rin frowned. 'An article about your family? Is that not a little invasive?'

'It is, as far as I'm concerned anyway. Inuyasha has an irritating habit of making decisions without consulting anyone else and expecting everyone to dance to his tune.'

'I see.'

'You have not met my brother, have you?'

'No, sir.'

Sesshoumaru smirked and shook his head. 'I'd urge caution then, Rin. Don't let him drag you into doing anything ridiculous. He can be charming when he chooses to be.'

'If he's anything like your father, I think I can manage. Thank you for your concern, sir,' Rin replied with a smile.

Any further discussion was halted when Sesshoumaru pulled the car to a stop beside a large house. Rin was surprised, she hadn't even realised that they were anywhere near a house given how many trees there were.

'My parents value their privacy,' Sesshoumaru said by way of explanation and vaguely gestured to the trees. He slumped in his seat and stared at the sprawling house with an unenthusiastic expression. 'Why must I give up my Saturday morning to Inuyasha's foolishness?'

Rin smiled slightly. 'I'm sure the morning will pass quickly and you can have your afternoon to yourself.'

'I hope so. Let's get this over with.'

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

The house was buzzing with activity. A team of men and women were working in what appeared to be the living room. Lights were being set up, flowers set up in strategic locations and Rin could only shake her head as she tried to wrap her head around everything happening around her. In the middle of it all was a tall man with silver hair. He directed everything with the ease of a professional.

'You're late, Sesh!' the man exclaimed, his back still turned to them as he read through a sheaf of papers someone had handed to him.

'You didn't give me a time to be here,' Sesshoumaru replied, raising an eyebrow at his brother's greeting. 'You never could organise anything.'

The man whirled on the spot, eyes blazing and irritation stamped across his face. 'I've been here since 6 o'clock this morning trying to get this set up!'

'Congratulations,' Sesshoumaru replied, unmoved by the display. 'Need I remind you that this was all time you should have been spending with your wife?'

The man seemed about to retort but stopped himself when his gaze fell on Rin who stood beside Sesshoumaru with an uncertain look on her face. He could only be Inuyasha. The resemblance between himself and her employer was uncanny. The man grinned suddenly and pointed a finger in Rin's direction.

'What's this? Bringing girlfriends along, Sesh?'

Sesshoumaru sighed heavily and resisted the urge to palm his face. Rin was standing beside him, her face flaming and looking completely bewildered by the situation. Her blush was quite appealing, he noted, before pushing the thought aside in irritation.

'You have spoken to Rin before, Inuyasha,' he stated in a voice that betrayed his irritation. 'Must I remind you to be civil to my secretary?'

Inuyasha's jaw dropped and he stared at Rin for a moment. 'You're Rin?! Well I'll be, I thought you'd be some old biddy!'

'I'm so glad to hear I sound like 'some old biddy'. What a confidence boost,' Rin murmured, loud enough only to be heard by Sesshoumaru.

Smirking at Rin's quiet comment, Sesshoumaru placed a hand on her shoulder and turned to steer her out of the room. 'We're going to the kitchen. When you have finished playing and are ready to work, come and find us.'

The kitchen turned out to be just as busy as the living room, although this room was crowded with members of the Takahashi family instead. Rin surveyed the scene in surprise. She had always envisioned the Takahashi family to be very distinguished, but as she watched a scene of morning chaos play out around her, she had to conclude with some degree of relief that they were a family just like any other.

'Sesh! When did you arrive? Oh, you've brought Rin along?' Inutaisho called from across the room where he sat beside a high chair and trying in vain to feed a toddler.

'We've only just arrived, father,' Sesshoumaru replied.

Rin hovered by the door uncertainly as she watched her employer cross the room towards his father. The two men shook hands briefly in greeting before Sesshoumaru turned his attention to the toddler making a mess of the high chair. Rin was surprised to see a vague smile cross his face as he reached down to ruffle the child's hair gently.

'I've been abandoned, Rin!' Inutaisho exclaimed, raising his hands towards the heavens and looking quite different from usual. 'The two women ran off and left me with a monster!'

'It's not as bad as all that,' a female voice commented with barely concealed amusement. 'You exaggerate so much in the presence of pretty girls. You are terrible.'

Inutaisho grinned unrepentantly and turned to his wife. 'Well if my wife didn't disappear with my daughter-in-law and leave me with this little monster, I might be persuaded to change my ways.'

'This is my step-mother, Izayoi,' Sesshoumaru supplied, handing Rin a mug of coffee and gesturing for her to take a seat at the table. 'Quite why she chose to marry my father is beyond me, but apparently they are quite happy together.'

'And you must be Rin,' Izayoi said with a smile as she took the younger woman's hands in her own. 'It's reassuring to know that there is someone sensible in that office block to keep these three on the straight and narrow.'

'She is my secretary, mother,' Sesshoumaru intervened smoothly. 'The less she has to do with the other two, the better.

'He's quite protective of her,' Inutaisho advised his wife with a grin.

Izayoi raised her eyebrows at her step-son. 'Is that so?'

The conversation was brought to an end when Inuyasha burst through the door. He looked harassed but seemed to make an effort to calm himself down when his mother looked at him sternly over the rims of her glasses. Walking over to his father, he reached down and picked up the toddler who had lifted her arms to him when he entered the room.

'We're ready to get started,' Inuyasha stated, cradling the child in one arm as he addressed his family. 'We're not going to have interviews yet, but we are going to have photographs taken.'

'What is the point of this?' Inutaisho asked, wiping his hands on dish cloth. 'Why am I involved in this?'

'It's a family shoot,' a new female voice said cheerfully. 'Now that Hanako is old enough, we decided that it's time to show off the newest member of the Takahashi family.'

Inuyasha wrapped an arm around the woman who stood beside him. Her long dark hair pulled back in a neat ponytail and her smile instantly making Rin feel at ease. Her gaze landed on Rin and she took a step forward with her hand outstretched.

'This is Kagome,' Sesshoumaru introduced the woman who shook Rin's hand vigorously. 'My sister-in-law, the poor woman who married my brother.'

Rin wasn't sure what to make of that statement, but shook Kagome's hand and murmured a polite greeting. Feeling slightly overwhelmed by all of the Takahashi family members being in the same room as herself, Rin pulled a notebook and pen out of her bag and opened it to a fresh page before fixing her gaze on Inuyasha.

'What is going to happen here today?' she asked, her pen poised to write.

Inuyasha raised an eyebrow at the sudden appearance of her professional attitude. 'We start with photos. Then we have interviews.'

'What sort of questions will be asked and what is the nature of these photographs?'

'As Kagome said, it's really just to introduce Hanako to those readers who follow our family,' he replied and nodded to the child in his arms.

Sesshoumaru sighed as he realised that he was going to have to play the loving uncle in a series of photographs that would be published. He loved his niece dearly, but it was not something he expressed openly. He really didn't want to be here. He'd rather be anywhere but having photographs taken. Glancing at Rin, he saw her frown before catching her eye. She looked intently at him for a moment and then shook her head slightly.

'Let's get this over with then,' Sesshoumaru muttered, getting to his feet and leading the group back into the living room.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

The day was taken up primarily with the photographs. Inuyasha proved to be quite the taskmaster when it came to the photographs that would feature in the magazine. Rin wasn't sure if he was like that with all features or this one in particular because his family were featured.

Either way, she realised that she didn't have to be too concerned about the type of photographs being taken. They were all very tasteful and thankfully not many of them featured Sesshoumaru. She was well aware of how much he disliked having his photograph taken. She also managed to get hold of a copy of the questions that Sesshoumaru would be asked in his interview later and made a few amendments. While some information had to be divulged, particularly his feelings on becoming an uncle, Rin was quite pleased when she was finished with the questions. They were considerably less invasive than they were to begin with.

'We are about to start the interviews, Rin,' Inutaisho advised her with a look that suggested he wasn't looking forward to it anymore than his eldest son was. 'Would you mind looking after Hanako while we do this?'

Rin shook her head. 'Of course not, sir.'

'Thank you, Rin. You'll find a small patio through the doors at the end of that corridor. She likes to be outside so most of her toys are out there.'

Nodding, Rin accepted the toddler and smiled as the child gave her a toothless smile. Inutaisho seemed happy that his grand-daughter was in safe hands and turned to find the rest of his family. Rin glanced around the room and saw Sesshoumaru standing on the far side of the room looking unhappy at the prospect of the interview.

Sesshoumaru looked up when he heard footsteps coming towards him. Dread filled him as he wondered if it would be one of Inuyasha's minions coming to fetch him for an interview. How he hated being a member of a well-known family sometimes! Turning on the spot, he was surprised to see Rin walking towards him. She had made herself scarce and he had almost forgotten that she was there.

However, Rin was definitely there and she was walking towards him with a faint smile pulling her lips. She dodged other people wandering around the room clearing up and it was then that he realised that she was carrying his niece on her hip. The child seemed perfectly content to be with Rin and seemed to be trying without success to touch one of her earrings.

'Rin, you have not be relegated to babysitting duties, have you?' he asked with a frown that softened the instant his niece gave him a smile.

Shrugging her shoulders, Rin smiled at the child and tickled her gently. 'I don't mind, sir. Hanako and I will get along just fine.'

'I see.'

'I know you were concerned about the interview, sir. I have amended some of the questions so it shouldn't be quite so bad.'

A voice called to Sesshoumaru from across the room and Rin gave him a smile before disappearing down the corridor with Hanako on her hip. Unsure what to expect despite Rin's reassurances, Sesshoumaru could cross to the room he had been summoned to and hope the experience would be as bad as he expected.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

It was an hour or so later that Sesshoumaru was finally freed from the interview and went in search of Rin. The questions he had been asked about his life were nowhere near as invasive as he had been expecting. In fact, he suspected that any readers who had been hoping for more details on his life would be sorely disappointed.

He knew that he had Rin to thank for that. It was obvious that she had picked up on how much of a private person he was and had taken that into consideration when amending the questions. Inuyasha would probably not be happy when he read the interview later but that didn't matter much to him. His private life was still private and that was all that mattered.

'Looking for something, dear?' Izayoi asked with a smile as Sesshoumaru walked into the kitchen.

Sesshoumaru looked around and nodded. 'I'm looking for Rin.'

'Ah, your lovely secretary! She was headed to the patio with Hanako last time I saw her.'

'Thank you.'

'Make sure you thank her too, dear,' Izayoi commented, smiling at her step-son as he stood uncertainly in the doorway. 'She worked hard to get hold of those interview questions this afternoon.'

Sesshoumaru stood in the doorway and stared at his step-mother in surprise. She didn't look in his direction again, signalling that the conversation was over. Raising his eyebrows slightly, he turned and headed down the corridor towards the patio. Quite how she knew what Rin had done was beyond him, but he guessed that Izayoi found the situation amusing in some way.

Moments later bright sunshine blinded him as he stepped into the garden. The light was unbelievably bright after being indoors most of the day. Squinting as he looked around, Sesshoumaru spotted a feminine figure sitting on one of the sun loungers at the far side of the patio.

'Rin?'

She turned slightly in her seat and smiled slightly. 'Sssh.'

Raising an eyebrow, Sesshoumaru walked closer and sat down on the chair beside her with a quiet sigh. Glancing over at her, he remembered that she had been looking after Hanako. He wasn't sure how long it had been since they parted company, but it had been enough time for the little girl to tire herself out. Hanako sat on Rin's lap, fast asleep, with her head resting against her shoulder and looking quite content.

'Has she been sleeping long?' Sesshoumaru asked, nodding towards the child and feeling a rush of gratitude to his secretary for showing such compassion.

Rin shook her head. 'Ten minutes or so. Did the interview go well?'

'Very well, thank you. I don't know how you managed it.'

'If I shared my secrets, you wouldn't need me anymore,' she replied with a teasing smile. Looking down at the child, she glanced back at her employer. 'Should we not take her to her parents?'

'Inuyasha will be occupied for quite some time, but Izayoi will take her.'

With some difficulty, Rin managed to get to her feet without waking Hanako. She followed Sesshoumaru back down the corridor towards the kitchen where they found Izayoi happily sipping tea with Kagome. The two women looked up in surprise as the door opened.

'Oh my! I'm so sorry, Rin!' Kagome exclaimed, rushing to her feet and moving across the room to take Hanako. 'I thought Inuyasha had put her in the bedroom.'

'It's alright. She's been lovely,' Rin replied with a smile, passing the sleeping child to her mother.

'We're leaving now,' Sesshoumaru stated, accepting a hug from his step mother and peck on the cheek from Kagome.

'Have a safe journey home, dear. It was lovely to finally meet you, Rin,' Izayoi smiled, taking Rin's hands in her own. 'I'm sure we'll be seeing you again soon.'

Not given a chance to reply, Rin smiled at the two women and allowed Sesshoumaru to steer her out of the house and to the car. There was silence between them while they settled themselves into the car's luxurious interior before Sesshoumaru sighed heavily and leaned his head back against his seat, closing his eyes wearily. Rin smiled to herself and chose to busy herself by looking for her phone in her bag. She doubted Sesshoumaru showed his weariness to many people.

'We should go before Inuyasha realises I didn't answer the interview questions he had planned out,' Sesshoumaru muttered, starting the car and heading towards the gates. 'Don't let him give you any trouble over that, Rin.'

Rin smiled cheerfully at him. 'It's my job to make sure your wishes are respected, sir. If you don't want to answer personal questions, you won't. I won't let anyone give you trouble even if they are your family members.'

Slightly taken aback by her reply, Sesshoumaru chose not to reply. After having so many secretaries who had failed to be of any help to him at all, it was quite surreal to have one who took her job so seriously. It was quite obvious to him now that Rin was very dedicated to her job and it was strange to think that her job revolved around him.

The journey passed quickly. They soon found themselves back in the car park outside the office building. Rin looked out the window at her own car and reluctantly unbuckled her seat belt and collected her belongings. It had been a long day and it had not strictly been a working day for her, but she had enjoyed her day. Meeting the other members of the Takahashi family had been a joy and the fact that she was able to be helpful to Sesshoumaru in the process made everything worthwhile.

'Thank you for your support today, Rin,' Sesshoumaru said quietly as he stepped out of the car and looked at her over the roof of the vehicle. 'You have no idea how helpful you have been today.'

Rin smiled happily. 'It's my pleasure to help you, sir.'

Amber eyes narrowed slightly. 'As today was not one your working days, would you allow me compensate you for your time?'

'That really isn't necessary, sir,' she replied, slightly surprised by the offer. 'I did not offer to help today simply because it is my job to do so.'

'Is that so?'

'Yes, sir.'

Sesshoumaru almost smiled as Rin stared back at him across the vehicle, her eyes wide and her expression earnest. She certainly meant what she said, but quite what she meant was beyond him. As she didn't seem eager to elaborate on her statement, he supposed he was going to have to try and ignore his niggling curiosity.

The fact that Rin would not accept any sort of compensation was both surprising and slightly disheartening. Sesshoumaru was not in the habit of compensating his employees, but then he had never had reason to until now. None of his previous secretaries had been anywhere near as helpful as Rin had and he felt an unfamiliar pang of guilt at having taken up Rin's day off. He would have to find a way to compensate her for her time, somehow.


	5. Chapter 5

**AN:** Thank you for all your reviews, they make lovely reading :)

Apologies for the delay in getting this chapter up. Health issues have taken priority so updates may be a bit slower this week. The next chapter is nearly finished though so all being well, that will be up before the weekend.

Enjoy!

xMxAx

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

 **V**

Nothing more was said about the Saturday that they spent at the Takahashi household. Everything went back to normal and fell into the same routine as before. Sesshoumaru discovered that Rin still came into the office early to ensure his work for the day was laid out neatly in order of importance.

There were some documents that were usually in the pile of work he did that seemed to be missing, but he spotted them later sitting neatly in the tray that sat on Rin's desk. They were completed neatly and far more efficiently that he could manage so he chose not to mention it. Sesshoumaru was well aware that Rin was trying to ensure he did not bury himself in his work as he had done previously. He was under no illusions that she would be quite vocal about the situation if she found him sleeping on his sofa again.

Rin said very little and for the most part sat quietly at her desk, ploughing through the piles of paperwork and other smaller tasks with an almost alarming efficiency. Sesshoumaru had begun to wonder how she would manage in a stressful situation since her professional persona was rarely rattled. His curiosity was sated when he stepped out of his office to find Inuyasha talking very loudly to her about how she had changed his interview questions. Much to Sesshoumaru's surprise, Rin had gotten to her feet and leaned over her desk towards Inuyasha. Quite what she said to Inuyasha, he didn't know but it certainly had an effect. Her voice was low and her expression clearly told him that she was not impressed with his brother's behaviour.

Following the episode with his brother, Sesshoumaru was once again drawn back to the fact that he needed to find a way to thank Rin for her continued hard work. He was not an expressive man by any stretch of the imagination and it was rare that he felt the need to go to such lengths to thank someone, but Rin definitely deserved his thanks.

So it was that late one afternoon a week later, Sesshoumaru walked out of his office shortly before 4pm. Rin looked up when she heard his office door open and her jaw nearly dropped at the sight of her employer pulling on his jacket and looking for all the world as though he was leaving the office. Rin had worked for Sesshoumaru for just over six months and not once in all that time had he left the office before her. Frowning slightly, she called up his diary on her computer to check if he had a meeting but the diary was empty.

'Pack up for today, Rin,' Sesshoumaru stated quietly, stopping beside her desk to glance through the papers in the tray on the corner of her desk. 'We have somewhere to go.'  
Knowing better than to argue or demand more information, Rin quietly packed away her belongings. 'We do, sir? The diary is empty for the rest of the afternoon.'

Sesshoumaru had lowered the papers just then and looked at her for a moment with an expression that reminded Rin of amusement. He found the situation amusing? Surely not. He rarely showed any emotion and amusement just seemed too bizarre to be true!

'Come with me, Rin,' Sesshoumaru requested and turned to walk towards the doors. Glancing out the window nearby, he frowned and looked back at his secretary. 'The weather has taken a turn for the worse, you may need your coat.'

He waited patiently for her to pull on her jacket before leading her out of the building. He was sure his father had been in the lobby area but deliberately ignored him. They would never get anywhere if the old man got involved. Rin followed him quietly, a small frown on her face as they stopped beside his car. It was quiet amusing, really. She obviously had plenty of questions, but was choosing not to give them voice.

'Get in.'  
'Where are we going, sir?' Rin asked eventually as they sped through the streets.  
Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow and smirked slightly. 'We are going for dinner, Rin.' 

Rin couldn't find the words to reply to him. Dinner? With her employer? Alone? Instantly she suspected that there was more to this than he was letting on, but unable to figure out quite what he was planning, she was forced to simply wait and see what happened. Certainly dinner with her employer was not a bad thing. He was decent enough company although he spoke little. That may prove awkward when having a meal together, but she pushed the thought aside. For once she was going to enjoy something for what it was and not think too deeply into the reasons why.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Sesshoumaru pulled into the car park at his favourite restaurant and gestured for Rin to follow him. Thursday evenings were usually quiet in the restaurant - he visited the place often enough to know this for a fact. He heard Rin gasp in surprise as they approached the beautiful front entrance to the establishment. There was outdoor seating at the front of the building, the path into the building covered by a canopy of grapevines and a large water feature in the far corner lent the place an ambiance that seemed out of place in the city.

Stepping aside to allow Rin to enter ahead of him, Sesshoumaru saw the head waiter approach with a broad smile. With a hand on the small of her back, he guided her forward to meet the man halfway down the path to the building. If Rin saw anything wrong with this proprietary gesture, she kept her thoughts to herself.

'Mr. Takahashi! A pleasure to see you again, sir,' the man said with genuine pleasure. 'A table for two? Would your usual table suffice?'  
'Yes, please. That one will be fine, thank you, Aoi.'

Rin allowed herself to be guided between tables to a quiet table outside, near the back of the restaurant. Somehow it didn't surprise her that Sesshoumaru's usual table would be at the very back of the restaurant but still somehow have the best view. The waiter pulled out a chair for her and she smiled gratefully as she took her seat. When they were alone with their menus, she glanced over the top of hers to find Sesshoumaru looking out towards the street, watching people as they passed by.

'You already know what you're having, sir?' she asked nonchalantly.  
'I come here often, Rin. I know exactly what I'm having.'

A creature of habit then, Rin mused and closed her own menu. Restaurants of this calibre were totally beyond her budget so she decided to follow Sesshoumaru's lead. She had no idea why she was sitting in a restaurant with her employer, but if he was treating her to dinner, she wasn't going to complain.

It was a strange feeling sitting at a table in a restaurant with her employer although he didn't seem in the least bit perturbed. As he was preoccupied with observing the passing crowds on the pavement outside, she took the chance to have a good look at him. He seemed strangely at ease, his arms crossed over his chest and long legs stretched out and crossed casually at the ankles. It was obvious that he had been working long nights as the shadows under his eyes seemed more obvious against his pale skin. Before Rin could continue perusal, Sesshoumaru's amber eyes turned and connected with hers briefly before she averted her gaze.

'What is the occasion, sir? This is the first time I've seen you leave the office this early in the day.'  
Sesshoumaru shrugged. 'Well it wouldn't do to go out when I finished work, would it?'  
'I don't know, sir. What time do you finish work?'  
'You shouldn't ask questions you won't like the answers to.'

Sesshoumaru smirked slightly when Rin laughed at his response. It was easy to talk to Rin and he found himself swept along with her good humour. As she gave her order to Aoi, Sesshoumaru observed her as carefully as she had been observing him earlier. It had definitely not escaped his notice.

She looked happy as she settled back into her seat and sipped her drink. Despite having been working since very early that morning, she looked refreshed. Her dark hair was still neatly pulled away from her face and there wasn't a single crease in her clothes. Quite how she managed to look so good at this time of day was a secret Sesshoumaru wished she would share. He would hazard a guess that he didn't look quite as refreshed as his cheerful secretary.

'Do you have family, Rin?' Sesshoumaru asked suddenly, surprising both himself and her with the question.  
Rin tilted her head slightly and smiled. 'That depends on what you mean, sir. I have family in the city, but I'm not married.'

For some inexplicable reason, her admission to not being married allowed Sesshoumaru to relax slightly. That did not mean she was not in a relationship though and he cast his mind back to the dark haired man and child he had seen her with previously. He was curious about them, but quite how to bring them into the conversation without being obvious about it was a challenge.

'My brother and his family are quite enough for me,' Rin murmured with a smile, looking down at her drink and stirring it gently with her straw. 'Until the fabled "Mr. Right" comes along anyway.'  
Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow. 'And then what happens?'  
'Oh, you know. The usual sort of thing. Whirlwind romance, marriage, family and happily ever after.'

Rin watched him carefully as she shared her romantic ambitions. It was a ridiculous thing to say to your employer, but for some reason she couldn't help herself. To his credit, he didn't seem to find the situation as hilarious as she had expected he would but then he rarely showed much in the way of emotion so it would be difficult to tell if he found her statement amusing.

'And I suppose this "Mr. Right" would be the modern day knight in shining armour?' Sesshoumaru replied with a smirk, realising that Rin was not being entirely serious and joining the easy banter.  
Rin laughed softly and smiled broadly. 'Of course! Every damsel in distress must have a knight!'  
'You don't look terribly distressed to me. You don't look like much ever distresses you.'  
'Lots of things distress me, but I'm not at the damsel in distress stage of my life yet.'  
Sesshoumaru smirked again at the mock shock she had put into her response. Her good humour was infectious, it seemed. 'That's a relief.'  
'Why's that, sir?'  
'Your knight might have something to say about your sitting here with me if you were at that stage of life. I fear I won't be successful in a fight against a knight.'  
Impulsively, Rin reached across the table and patted his hand gently as though to console him. 'I have every faith that you would be successful, sir.'

The arrival of the food disturbed the flow of the conversation. Sesshoumaru watched as Rin settled into her meal, looking at the dish from all angles as though not sure where to start. He had enjoyed the little conversation they had had even if it was not serious or on the topic he would like. It seemed that working with Rin would be quite amusing.

'You mentioned a brother?' Sesshoumaru prompted, pausing between bites to look at her. 'I sincerely hope he's nothing like Inuyasha.'  
'He is similar in some ways, I suppose. Haru is very easy going but he does have a frightful temper at times. I guess he inherits that from our father.'  
'That sounds eerily similar to Inuyasha.'  
Rin laughed. 'Perhaps they're more similar than I thought. Like Inuyasha though, Haru is an excellent father.'  
Sesshoumaru couldn't help but raise his eyebrows at this. 'You think Inuyasha is a good father?'  
'Definitely! It was easy to see how much he adores Hanako. Haru is much the same with his son, Kenji.'  
'I see. So you're "Aunt Rin" then. Do you see your nephew often?'  
Rin smiled and nodded. 'Several times a week. They often come and meet me for lunch.'

Pieces fell into place easily for Sesshoumaru then and he almost smiled. So the man he had seen her with had been her brother and the child was her nephew. Relieved by this insight into her life, he decided to try and steer the conversation in a different direction so that he didn't appear overly interested in her relationships.

'What made you apply for this job, Rin? You have very good qualifications and yet you choose to be a secretary in a relatively small firm?'  
Rin's jaw dropped. 'A relatively small firm? Sir, I don't believe you realise quite how influential your "small firm" is. When I saw the vacancy, it was a chance I couldn't afford to pass up.'  
'I'm glad you didn't. Who knows where I would be now without you?'  
'Flattery will get you everywhere, sir,' she replied with a laugh. 'Honestly though, it's my pleasure to help in any way I can.'  
Sesshoumaru smiled slightly. 'Is there anything you can't do, Rin?'  
'I'm sure there's something, but if there's something that needs doing, I will find a way to get it done.'  
'Quite formidable then. I'm glad you're on my side.'  
'Always, sir.' 

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Many weeks after that meal with Sesshoumaru, that conversation still resonated in Rin's mind. It had come as a surprise to find that he had willing spoken to her and joined in her silly conversations. It seemed that beneath the slightly cold exterior was a man with a sense of humour even if it was deeply buried.

Rin sighed and sat back in her chair, staring up at the patterned ceiling tiles for a moment before pushing herself upright. Sesshoumaru had gone out for lunch with a client and Rin felt oddly restless. It was a strange feeling knowing that his office was empty and he was out somewhere where she couldn't be of any help to him. Sighing, she called up the document she had been working on and tried to focus her mind. Moments later, the door opened and Sesshoumaru stepped in with a slightly odd expression on his face.

'Is there a problem, sir?' she asked in concern, standing up and walking around her desk.  
Sesshoumaru shrugged a shoulder and stepped aside. 'It seems that you have a visitor, Rin.'

Confused, Rin looked past Sesshoumaru and gasped in surprise. Behind her employer were two men she recognised instantly. The younger of the two smiled slightly and gave her a brief hug before running his hand through his hair.

'Haru?' Rin asked, completely confused as to why her brother had walked into the office with her employer. 'What's going on? Why is our uncle here with you?'  
Haru shrugged and nodded towards the older man who hesitated near the door. 'Something to do with your inheritance. Best hear him out, Rin. I don't think you'll like what you hear.'

Sesshoumaru stood in the background, leaning against Rin's desk and watching the slightly bizarre family reunion. It was obvious that Rin was not entirely happy about the presence of her uncle, but it was a mystery as to why. Sighing to himself, he stood upright and placed a hand on Rin's shoulder.

'I have a meeting with my father,' he stated before passing her his briefcase. 'You may use my office if you need privacy for this conversation.'  
'Thank you, sir.'

Clutching her employer's briefcase as though it was a lifeline, Rin nodded slowly. She smiled uncertainly when she felt his give her a gentle push towards the office. She didn't have to turn around to know that Sesshoumaru was watching her intently as the trio walked into his office. Their gazes met briefly as she turned to close the door behind her. He nodded encouragement before turning and walking out the door. Taking a deep breath, Rin turned to face her relatives knowing that she would need all the courage she could get for this conversation.


	6. Chapter 6

**AN:** Thank you all for your reviews :)

My health seems to be back on track so no more disruptions - hopefully! Anyway, this chapter is much shorter than the others so far, but it's more of a filler chapter to explain a few details before I launch into the next phase of the story. It's been re-written more times than I care to think about this last weekend, but it's almost where I want it. Might have to review it at some point, but for the moment it does the job nicely :)

Enjoy!

xMxAx

 **VI**

Sesshoumaru sighed heavily as he leaned back in his chair. It was the middle of the afternoon and he had been working steadily since early that morning. Rubbing his eyes wearily, he glanced at the pile of work he still had to do before the meeting with his father the next day and put his head in his hands. He couldn't focus any longer.

Reaching towards his computer, he called up his electronic calendar and glanced over it before closing it in disgust. His father hadn't cancelled the meeting at the last minute unfortunately. An unread message caught his eye and Sesshoumaru sighed again as he read it. Rin had reminded him that she would be out of the office that afternoon - she would be attending a meeting with his father. Quite why she was playing his father's secretary that afternoon, Sesshoumaru didn't know, but Rin seemed happy enough to take on the task so he hadn't complained.

Getting to his feet and picking up his empty coffee cup, Sesshoumaru walked out of his office and headed towards the small kitchen area that both he and Rin used. Leaning against the counter, he waited patiently until the water had heated enough for his coffee. The office seemed strange without Rin. She was quiet, but her presence somehow seemed to lift the mood in the office. It was strange. He had never encountered such a thing with any of his other secretaries, but he supposed that was because Rin was so different from his other secretaries that there was really no comparison.

Sesshoumaru was startled from his thoughts by the phone in his phone ringing loudly, shattering the slightly eerie quiet of the office. Resisting the urge to sigh for the umpteenth time that day, he pulled it out of his pocket and checked who was calling his private number before answering.

'Hello?' he greeted quietly, staring down into his coffee cup as he stirred the liquid slowly.  
'This is reception, sir. I'm sorry for calling on your personal line,' a woman's apologetic voice drifted over the line.  
'It's fine, Erika. What's the problem?'  
The woman paused before speaking. 'It's just that there's a visitor in reception asking for Rin. She left with your father over an hour ago and I don't know when she'll be back. What should I do?'  
Sesshoumaru breathed heavily through his nose as he leaned back against the counter, wrapping his hand around the mug. 'Who is it?'  
'Her brother, sir.'  
'Send him to my office, I will explain the situation to him myself.'

With the call ended and a fresh cup of coffee, Sesshoumaru pushed himself upright and slowly made his way back to his office's foyer. Just as he walked into the area just behind Rin's desk, the foyer doors opened and a tall man slowly walked in. His expression became wary when he spotted Sesshoumaru leaning casually against Rin's desk.

'I understand you are my secretary's brother?' Sesshoumaru asked bluntly, too weary to feign politeness.  
The man nodded slowly. 'And you are her employer presumably?'  
'Sesshoumaru Takahashi,' he replied, pushing himself upright and extending a hand in greeting.  
'Haru Nakamura.'

Sesshoumaru paused for a moment and looked the man over carefully. Haru Nakamura could easily match him in height if he stood upright instead of slouching. The man's shaggy dark hair and dark stubble gave him a slightly unkempt look, but the look in his grey eyes gave Sesshoumaru pause. There was more to the man than met the eye. Smothering a sigh, Sesshoumaru gestured vaguely towards Rin's desk behind him.

'I'm afraid Rin is out of the office this afternoon.'  
'I thought she was your secretary? Why is she out of the office but you are not?' Haru asked, narrowing his eyes.  
Sesshoumaru shrugged and leaned against Rin's desk again. 'My father requested that Rin accompany him to a meeting this afternoon. She is one of the few people with enough patience to sit through his many tall tales.  
'She has the patience of a saint,' Haru commented with a slight laugh, running his hand through his hair.  
'That she does. Is there something I can help you with?'

Haru tilted his head to one side and Sesshoumaru got the distinct impression that Rin's brother was judging him. Stiffening slightly, he forced himself to sip his coffee nonchalantly and stare back at the man. It was an unpleasant feeling to be judged so openly without knowing the reason why. Eventually, the dark haired man shrugged a shoulder and turned slightly towards the door.

'I just wanted to check up on her,' Haru replied hesitantly, seeming as though he was unsure how much to say. 'She was quite distressed after our last conversation. You wouldn't happen to have noticed anything out of the ordinary, would you?'  
Sesshoumaru raised his eyebrows slightly before raising his cup and gesturing to the kitchen behind Rin's desk. 'There's a fresh pot in there, help yourself. We'll discuss this in my office. Walls seem to have ears around here.'

If Haru was surprised by this response, he didn't show it. To his credit, he seemed completely at ease with this offer of coffee and a private conversation. Sesshoumaru smirked slightly as he walked back into his office and sat behind his desk. It seemed that Rin and her brother both had an uncanny ability to adapt to any situation fairly easily.

'So why do we need to have a private conversation?' Haru asked, closing the door behind him and walking slowly towards the desk.  
Sesshoumaru looked up from the papers he was trying to pile in some sort of order. 'I am not in the habit of having conversations with my employees family and I will not have any discussion about Rin where it might be overheard.'  
'I'm glad to hear you respect my sister's privacy.'  
'I have a great deal of respect for your sister. She has been a life saver.'  
Haru dropped into a chair and grinned. 'She's a life saver for everyone in one way or another. So how's she been lately?'  
'Quieter than usual and withdrawn. She has made mistakes recently that she would never normally make. It is concerning to say the least.'

Silence fell on the room. Sesshoumaru thought over the last couple of weeks and Rin's behaviour since her encounter with her brother. She had certainly become increasingly withdrawn to the point that other members of staff had commented on it. Her mind seemed to be elsewhere which was highly unusual for Rin. She had made mistakes when booking meetings and work which would normally be done within minutes took far longer than normal. Rin was well aware of the mistakes she had made and had been profoundly apologetic, but it was worrying that something could affect her badly.

'Did she say anything to you about that meeting?' Haru asked quietly, looking down into his coffee cup.  
Sesshoumaru shook his head. 'She hasn't said a word. Rin does not say much about her personal life. If she wished to speak to me about it, she is hopefully aware that she may do so at any time.'  
'She probably just wants to sort this out herself, but it doesn't just affect her. She really should have told you.'  
'I recall this was regarding inheritance?'  
Haru nodded. 'Rin's father was actually a very wealthy man. He owned a restaurant chain for many years that he inherited from his father before passing it to his brother when his health became a problem.'  
'Rin's father?' Sesshoumaru asked in surprise. 'You are her sibling, are you not?'  
'Rin and I have the same mother, different fathers. Rin's father adopted me when I was very young but he was never a father figure to me as he was to Rin.'  
'I see. So you weren't close to your step-father. I assume the inheritance was solely for Rin and not you?'  
'Correct. I never wanted the old man's money, it's right that it should go to Rin. He was a clever man but very old fashioned in his mind set. The restaurant chain has traditionally been passed down to the eldest son of each generation.'  
Sesshounaru frowned. 'Rin has never mentioned any other brothers. What happens in this situation where there is no son to inherit?'  
Sighing, Haru ran his hand through his hair and shook his head as though in despair. 'Rin will still inherit the restaurant chain, but she will not be able to manage them. As I said, her father was very old fashioned in his mind set. Believe it or not, in order for Rin to claim her inheritance, she must marry first. Her husband will be the one to manage the chain.'

Sesshoumaru stared at the other man in surprise. Of all the things he had thought the conversation would be about, he would never have guessed that it would be about Rin's marriage prospects. It was very old fashioned and it seemed so unfair to Rin. It was almost as though her father doubted her skills and wasn't even prepared to give her a chance to prove herself capable of managing the chain.

'How the chain is managed following the marriage is not an issue so long as it's put in her husband's name. I'm sure her father would just assume that her husband would take over all responsibility. '  
'So what happens if Rin decides she doesn't want to get married just to claim inheritance?'  
Haru frowned and shrugged his shoulders. 'Apparently the restaurant chain and all its profits pass to our step-mother. Our mother passed away many years ago so Rin's father re-married.'  
'Surely your step-mother could then pass the chain on to Rin that way without the need for marriage?'  
Laughing bitterly, the dark haired man shook his head sadly. 'We thought of that. She wouldn't do it though. She has always resented Rin, I don't know why but it has been obvious from the very beginning. In any case, our step-mother only cares about money so she wouldn't hand it over after she gets it. Least of all to Rin.'  
Sesshoumaru sighed and rubbed his forehead wearily. 'So if she wants to claim her inheritance, she has to marry. There's no way around that.'  
'Absolutely none. Our uncle looked into it, there are no workarounds. She marries or she loses it.'

Before either men could take the conversation any further, there was a knock at the door and the very woman they had been discussing popped her head around the door. She looked tired but no worse for wear, much to Sesshoumaru's relief. When her gaze fell on her brother, she looked from one man to the other before stepping fully into the room and putting her hands on her hips. Sesshoumaru found brief amusement in the fact that she very much looked like a mother about to scold her children.

'Haru? What's going on here?' she asked, eyes narrowing as her brother seemed be at a loss for words.  
'Your brother arrived about half an hour ago and was looking for you, Rin,' Sesshoumaru intervened smoothly, getting to his feet and walking around the desk to where she stood. 'I'm glad you're back. I'd say that the three of us need to have a conversation, don't you?'

Bewildered by the bizarre situation, Rin allowed Sesshoumaru to place both hands on her shoulders and guide her towards the sofa in the corner of the room. Haru took the hint and joined them, sitting beside Rin but eying her warily. Sesshoumaru to the seat opposite the siblings and wondered where to begin.

'I suppose Haru's told you all about the inheritance, then?' Rin asked, her usual formal attitude dropping as an expression of weariness crossed her face.  
Sesshoumaru nodded sympathetically. 'He has. What do you intend do? Have you arrived a decision?'  
'I'm going to decline the inheritance,' she replied with a shrug. 'I would love something that belonged to my father, but these conditions attached it to are just too much. He of all people should have known that marriage isn't something to just jump into.'  
Haru wrapped an arm around her shoulders and gave her a brief squeeze. 'He did know that, Rin. He was just trying to ensure that you were well looked after.'  
'By forcing me into a marriage?'  
'You are an heiress now, Rin,' Sesshoumaru stated, looking at her intently. 'You have dealt with enough issues for myself and my father to know that having wealth like that can open many doors for you.'  
'I don't want to be an heiress,' Rin mumured, lowering her gaze to her hands. 'I just want to be plain old Rin. Besides, if I did inherit all this, I would have to stop working here.'

Silence fell over the room as that thought sank in. It was obvious that Rin enjoyed her work, but she was correct. There was no way that she could be an heiress to a successful restaurant chain and still work for Sesshoumaru. It had to be one or the other.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

'I see. So that's why she's been so withdrawn,' Inutaisho murmured as he stared at his eldest son with a serious expression. 'This is quite an issue, Sesh. Is there nothing we can do to help?'  
Sesshoumaru shrugged. 'Short of finding her a husband, there's not much we can do. Even if you did that, she would have to leave the company. It's a lose-lose situation really.'

Inutaisho sat back in his chair and eyed his son thoughtfully. Having just heard of Rin's predicament, he wanted desperately to help the young woman. An idea began to form in his mind as he looked at his eldest son, but he knew that it would be met with huge opposition. Glancing at his wife, he found Izayoi looking at Sesshoumaru just as intently. When their gazes met, Inutaisho realised that they both had the same idea.

'Putting that matter aside for the moment,' Izayoi said casually as she moved around the kitchen collecting ingredients from various cupboards. 'Have you given any thought to when you'll get married, dear? The clock's ticking, your father and I aren't getting any younger.'  
Sesshoumaru raised his eyebrows at the sudden subject change. 'How is this subject relevant, mother?'  
'Because I want grandchildren, dear. Little Hanako is all well and good, but I am convinced that your children would be little darlings.'

Izayoi and Inutaisho went off into their own little fantasy world as they discussed what Sesshoumaru's childen would be like. Hanako had inherited her father's temper and impatience, but they were convinced that Sesshoumaru's children would inherit his quietness and their mother's caring nature. Quite who the fictional children's mother was a question that Sesshoumaru was almost afraid to ask.

'I've just had the most excellent idea!' Izayoi exclaimed suddenly, walking over to where Sesshoumaru sat and taking his face in her hands. 'Why don't you marry, Rin? We all know she's a darling and the whole family adores her, Hanako included. It'd be perfect! Just think, Inutaisho, their children would be beautiful!'


	7. Chapter 7

**VII**

'You have to do something, Rin,' Inutaisho pleaded, his expression showing a seriousness that was most unusual for the older man.  
'Do something?' Rin asked, putting down her pen and turning her chair slightly so that she faced the older man directly. 'What exactly must I do something about?'  
'Sesshoumaru!'  
Rin raised her eyebrows in surprise at the vehemence in Inutaisho's voice. 'Has he done something wrong?'  
'Sesh never does anything wrong,' Inuyasha commented as he stepped into the room and leaned against the door. 'Not usually anyway.'  
'I don't understand...'  
'He's ill, Rin,' Inutaisho stated, glaring at his youngest son for the interruption. 'He's insisting on coming to work.'

Frowning, Rin pulled up Sesshoumaru's electronic calender and sighed as she saw that the day was full of back to back meetings with clients. It was no wonder he was insisting on coming to work despite being unwell.

'There is not much I can do, I'm afraid,' Rin said, closing the calender and turning to the two men on the other side of her desk. 'Unfortunately, today was scheduled to be a very busy day.'  
'Today is scheduled to be busy day,' Sesshoumaru's voice interrupted the conversation.

It was obvious from a glance that Sesshoumaru was not well. His looked much paler than usual and the dark circles under his eyes suggested he hadn't had much sleep. Despite making every effort to keep his usual smart appearance, he lacked his usual commanding presence.

Rin got to her feet and opened her mouth to speak but found herself at a loss for what to say. Sesshoumaru was a stubborn man at the best of times and she had no doubt that when he was ill he would be doubly so. Sighing softly, she glanced at Inuyasha and Inutaisho and found them both looking at her expectantly.

'Are you well enough to work, sir?' Rin asked quietly, moving around her desk to stand in front of the door to Sesshoumaru's office. She was blocking access and knew that he could move her easily if he chose to, but she trusted him enough not to do so.  
'Perfectly well, thank you.'  
'That's lie, Sesh,' Inuyasha interrupted, pushing himself upright as he spoke. 'It's obvious that you're not well. Go home and rest.'  
'I am well enough to work, Inuyasha. I will not sit idly when I could be doing something productive.'  
Inutaisho sighed. 'Take it a bit easier at the very least.'

The look Sesshoumaru gave his father following that statement would have felled a lesser man where he stood. Choosing not to reply, Sesshoumaru simply walked past his father and moved Rin aside gently before walking into his office and closing the door firmly behind him.

Inuyasha shook his head and left the office, muttering quietly to himself but Inutaisho remained where he was, staring at the closed door intently. Eventually he seemed to come back to his senses and looked at Rin who seemed bewildered by the situation. Walking towards her, Inutaisho placed his hands on her shoulders and hunched his shoulders slightly so he could look into her eyes.

'Keep an eye on him, Rin,' he asked quietly, concern etched across his face. 'He's never unwell and I worry for him.'  
Smiling as comfortingly as she could, Rin stepped back and glanced at the door. 'Don't worry, sir. I will look after him.'

When Inutaisho had left the office, Rin decided to simply go about business as normal. If Sesshoumaru was going to ignore how unwell he was, she would too and treat him as she did normally.

With a coffee mug in hand and a stack of paperwork in the other, Rin managed to negotiate the door to Sesshoumaru's office and felt a small amount of pride that she hadn't spilt a drop of coffee or dropped a single sheet of paper. Her moment of pride came to an abrupt end when she saw Sesshoumaru. Instead of sitting behind his desk, engrossed in his work as usual, he was lying on the sofa. His expression contorted into one of discomfort.

Sighing to herself, she closed the door behind her and walked further into the room. Sesshoumaru didn't move or give any indication that he knew she was in the same room. After placing his coffee on his desk beside the stack of papers she had brought with her, Rin walked across to the sofa and wondered quite what to do next. As she perched on the edge of the table beside the sofa, she felt a wave of sympathy for Sesshoumaru.

'Is there anything I can do for you, sir?' she asked tentatively, eyeing his prone form anxiously.

There was silence for a moment before Sesshoumaru turned his head to look at Rin. Sighing softly, he pushed himself upright and ran a hand through his hair. He felt worse than he let on and although he knew it was nothing serious, it was an inconvenience. The sympathies of his father and brother were a nuisance, but somehow, Rin's obvious concern didn't irritate him. She looked so concerned that he almost smiled.

'I am not that poorly, Rin,' he muttered, voice hoarse from a night spent coughing.  
Rin nodded quickly. 'Your first client is due to arrive in the next quarter of an hour. Is there anything I can do to help prepare for the meeting?'  
'You're not going to try and convince me to go home?'  
'You are the only person who knows whether or not you are able to work, sir. While I am concerned, I respect your wish to remain here and work.'  
'I wish my father and brother did the same.'  
'They are concerned for your health, they mean well.'  
Sesshoumaru shrugged and walked slowly towards his desk. 'Let's get started on preparing for the first meeting.'

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

The day was very long and as much as he wished to, Sesshoumaru could no longer ignore his pounding headache. He clenched his hands together on the desk in front of him in an attempt to hide the fact that they were shaking ever so slightly. Rin's slight frown suggested that he was not successful in his subterfuge. She didn't say anything but he knew that she was well aware of how much he was struggling to concentrate on what their client was saying. Relief washed over him when the client rose to her feet and started to say her farewells.

Sesshoumaru stiffly got to his feet, clutching the edge of the desk with one hand as a wave of dizziness hit him. Through clenched teeth he managed a polite farewell to the excited young woman whose book he had agreed to publish. He remained standing as he watched Rin lead the woman to the door and firmly but politely say a final farewell. The desire to sit back down again was almost overwhelming, but fear that the dizziness would return kept him standing where he was, clutching the desk like a lifeline.

'That was the last appointment of the day,' Rin commented, closing the office door and glancing at the clock. 'I think you have worked enough for today, sir.'

Much to his surprise, Rin walked straight towards him and took his arm gently. Sesshoumaru raised his eyesbrows slightly as Rin slowly manoeuvred him out from behind the desk and somehow managed to convince him to relinquish his death grip on the desk. Within moments, Sesshoumaru found himself sitting on the sofa with a glass of cool water in his hand while Rin bustled around the room, closing the curtains and plunging the room into semi-darkness.

'Why don't you have a nap, sir?' Rin suggested gently, taking the now empty glass from his hand and setting it on the table beside the sofa. 'I will finish tidying the office and then we can plan how to get you home. You will feel better after a sleep.'  
Sesshoumaru smirked and lay back on the sofa. 'You are quite the mother hen, Rin.'

There was no reply to that statement, but Sesshoumaru heard Rin moving around the room. It was a strange feeling to have someone showing such obvious concern for him and the fact that Rin was making the effort to see to his well-being made the situation more bizarre. Normally only his family expressed such concern and he found it stifling, but Rin was a different story. He felt a vague feeling of surprise as he realised that he would quite happily lie where he was and submit to whatever came next so long as Rin wasn't far away.

After a period of silence, Rin glanced over her shoulder towards the sofa and smiled. Obviously a nap was exactly what Sesshoumaru needed because he was fast asleep on the sofa. Turning back to her task of clearing his desk, she thought over the events of the day. He had struggled to get through the day, but she had to give him credit for managing to do so. She had seen the occasional grimace when he stood up and she had seen him give up trying to write when his hands shook too much to manage his usual elegant script.

It was strange to see the usually powerful man struggle so much and it unsettled her more than she cared to admit. Despite being rather proud that he had managed to get through the day, Rin couldn't help the twinge of irritation she felt at the ridiculous situation that led them to the situation they found themselves in. If Sesshoumaru had simply admitted that he was too unwell to work, Rin could have easily rescheduled his meetings and he could have stayed at home and focused on recovering. However, she suspected that he would not focus on recovering. He would likely find some way to work. At least if he was here in the office she could keep an eye on him and ensure that he didn't overwork himself.

Turning back to look at the sofa, Rin sighed softly and leaned back against the edge of Sesshoumaru's desk and crossed her arms. It was all well and good that he was now asleep, but what to do next? She had cleared his desk as best she could and there was nothing left for her to do. In fact, she should have left nearly an hour ago. She couldn't bring herself to just leave him alone in the office but equally, she couldn't bring herself to wake him.

Making her decision, she pushed herself upright and walked out of the room towards her desk. Making sure to close the office door behind her so as not to wake Sesshoumaru, she picked up her phone and made a phone call she knew was likely to land her in trouble.

'Rin? Why are you still at work?'  
'Haru, I need a favour.'  
'Why are you still at work?' Haru demanded, ignoring her statement completely. 'You should be home by now.'  
Rin smiled, not surprised that her brother had memorised her work contact number. 'I'm staying late today. Can you go to my place and pick up some things for me please?'  
'Why can't you go?'  
'Sesshoumaru is unwell. I can't leave him alone.'  
Haru sighed heavily down the line. 'You're his secretary, Rin. You're not his carer.'  
'I don't care, Haru. Please spare me the lecture and do me a favour.'

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Sunlight was creeping under the curtains when Sesshoumaru awoke. He instantly recognised the ceiling in his office and sighed. Obviously he had done what Rin had suggested and slept for as long as he needed to. Closing his eyes and breathing deeply, he was pleased to discover that while he was definitely not back to full health, he was much better than the day before. His headache had gone and his hands were no longer shaking.

Deciding that it was time to get up and leave before Rin arrived, Sesshoumaru cautiously pushed himself upright and was surprised when a blanket fell onto his lap. Frowning, he picked it up and looked at it closely. He was certain that he did not have a blanket in his office and if he did, it most certainly wouldn't be an orange blanket and it definitely wouldn't carry the lingering scent of vanilla.

Concluding that the blanket must belong to Rin, Sesshoumaru could only wonder why she would feel the need to keep such an item in the office. It was never so cold in the office that a blanket would be needed. Shrugging the thought away, he folded the blanket neatly and put it to one side as he turned in his seat to get to his feet. The sight that greeted him when he raised his head to look around the room caused him to stop in surprise, unsure if illness had caused him to start hallucinating.

In one of the large arm chairs across the table from the very sofa he sat on was Rin. She had curled her petite body into the soft armchair and had her head propped up against the arm of the chair, fast asleep. An orange blanket the same as the one he had found covering him was pulled over her and she held it tightly just beneath her chin. It was quite an endearing sight really and Sesshoumaru wasn't quite sure what to do next.

Deciding that obtaining some sort of breakfast for the pair of them would be the best course of action, he slipped out of the office as quietly as he could and accosted the first security guard he found. After giving the man probably far too much money to purchase the food with, Sesshomaru returned to the office and looked in to find Rin still asleep on the chair. Not bothering to wake her, he continued past her desk and proceeded to make coffee for them both. No doubt Rin would not be happy to have had to spend the night in the office, but there was nothing he could do about that. Hopefully coffee and the promise of breakfast would lighten her mood.

'Good morning, Rin.' In the silence of the office, his voice seemed to echo off the walls but he tried to ignore it as he placed a mug of coffee on the table in front of her sleeping form. 'It is nearly 8am.'

Sesshoumaru watched as her eyes fluttered opened and she looked around blearily. She smothered a yawn with her hand and stretched widely before her gaze fell on him and she froze. It was an effort not to smile as Sesshoumaru took in her appearance. Her long hair had fallen out of its usual net bun and hung loosely around her shoulders, curling slightly at the ends. Dainty feet encased in dark stockings were tucked beneath her and her jacket lay discarded on the floor nearby with her shoes. It was an impressive sight, he had to admit. It seemed that Rin was not only exceptionally beautiful when dressed professionally, but also when she had just woken up.

'How are you feeling, sir?' she asked after a moment, sitting upright and looking him over carefully.  
'Much better than yesterday, thank you,' Sesshoumaru replied, averting his gaze from the tantalising display of her cleavage. A few of her buttons had come undone at some point during her sleep and revealed a sight he suspected he wouldn't get out of his mind for quite some time. 'Why didn't you go home?'  
'I couldn't leave you, sir! What if you had taken a turn for the worse overnight?'  
'It's just a cold, Rin. It's nearly all gone, nothing was going to happen.'  
'Well I didn't know that,' Rin replied quietly, crossing her arms as she spoke.  
'Thank you, Rin. It was very kind of you to show such concern.'

Blushing prettily, Rin looked down at her hands, not sure what to say. She had planned to stay awake as long as possible to make sure Sesshoumaru wasn't in any pain, but it seemed she had fallen asleep at some point. Waking up to find him sitting across from her was something of a shock.

'It's nearly 8am,' Sesshoumaru stated, glancing at the clock. 'I think we should both go home and refresh ourselves. No doubt my father will be along before too long and we'll never hear the end of it if he finds out we spent the night here.'  
Rin nodded and started to get to her feet. 'Of course, sir. I'm sorry I didn't wake you, but you obviously needed to sleep.'

There was no chance for further discussion as the door to the foyer where Rin's desk was located opened loudly. Rin looked up in surprise as Sesshoumaru hastily got to his feet and gestured for her to be quiet.

'I bet he's sitting in his bed right now,' Inuyasha's voice was slightly muffled. 'He looked rough yesterday.'  
'He did,' Inutaisho agreed, his voice sounding closer to the door to Sesshoumaru's office. 'If he looks as bad as that today, I will take him home and put him in Izayoi's care.'  
Inuyasha laughed. 'He'd love that. What're we doing here anyway?'  
'I just wanted to make sure he's not here ridiculously early. Give me a minute to check his office.'

Panic flooded Rin's mind as she took in the scene around her. Inutaisho could not find out that both of them had spent the night in the office. He had lectured his son so often about it and he would be disappointed that she had not only allowed Sesshoumaru to spent the night at the office but had joined him as well.

Seeing Rin's look of panic and feeling just as concerned about being discovered by his father, Sesshoumaru grabbed Rin's hand and pulled her towards a door behind his desk. Pushing the door open, he ushered Rin through before following her. The door closed just as he heard his own office door open and he breathed a sigh of relief. The room they stood in was the small bathroom that adjoined his office. It was a very small space, not designed for two people to use at the same time.

Rin was pressed against a wall to Sesshoumaru's left, completely bewildered by the sudden chain of events that had led her to being in such a small space with her employer. It was the sort of thing that came straight out of a romance novel. Sesshoumaru still held her small hand in his much larger one and was standing only inches away from her. Her senses were flooded with his scent and from where she stood, she could clearly see the muscles of his arms tensing beneath the thin fabric of his shirt. The desire to know if those arms were as strong as they looked took her completely by surprise, but the next words she heard left her speechless.

'Looks like Sesh wasn't as ill as we thought,' Inuyasha laughed as he surveyed the room. 'The place is a mess.'  
Inutaisho grunted something intelligible. 'You'd think that he'd have more class than to seduce a woman like her in his office when he's ill. Honestly. I thought I raised him better than that.'

Feeling Rin stiffen beside him, Sesshoumaru glanced down at her and saw her face become pale. Her mouth opened as though she wanted to speak. Shaking his head, he placed a finger on her lips and hoped she would understand the need for silence.

Her eyes widened at the touch and as she met his amber gaze, she couldn't resist the urge to kiss his finger gently. Quite why she did it, she didn't know but it seemed like the right thing to do. He was a handsome man, she could no longer hide from that fact, but she didn't know how to proceed. She was stuck in a small bathroom with her employer whose finger she had just kissed, what did one do in that situation? 


	8. Chapter 8

**VIII**

Sesshoumaru stared down at Rin in surprise. Her soft lips were still pressed against his finger and she was staring at him with an expression that suggested her actions had surprised herself as much as him. Inutaisho and Inuyasha in the office beyond the door were forgotten as the pair stared at each other uncertainly.

He was much taller than Rin and from where he stood, that was a distinct advantage. The shirt which had become unbuttoned in the night allowed him a view of her cleavage even better than the view he had had earlier. Her tousled hair and wide eyed look was hugely appealing and Sesshoumaru realised there and then that he could no longer deny that he was attracted to his secretary.

Any feelings towards her until now had been passed off as just an interest in learning more about his secretary. He had even refused to acknowledge the fact that he found her looks appealing. It was no longer possible to distance himself from those thoughts and as he looked down at her, he realised that he didn't want to.

Rin took a sharp breath when she felt Sesshoumaru's hand move to cup her face. It was an effort to remember to breathe with those intense eyes looking at her. When she finally remembered how to breathe, she realised that they were closer than they had been previously. Her back was pressed against the cool tiles on the wall, Sesshoumaru was only inches away from her and leaning towards her.

'You know, your mother told Sesshoumaru that he should marry Rin,' Inutaisho said conversationally, his voice just outside the bathroom door. 'They'd be a good match, don't you think?'  
Inuyasha chuckled. 'Definitely. She's the first person I've met who can ask him to do something and he actually does it.'  
'Other than me, you mean.'  
'You're his father, you're different.'  
'How so?'  
'You're not a pretty woman for a start.'

Had the situation been any different, Sesshoumaru thought that they would probably have found that conversation amusing, but as it was, he was concerned what Rin might think. Izayoi had suggested that he marry Rin and although he knew Izayoi was making it sound like a way to solve the problem of Rin's inheritance, he was sure that she was attempting her infamous matchmaking.

Inuyasha and Inutaisho had clearly made themselves comfortable in Sesshoumaru's office judging by the amount of shuffling and talking taking place beyond the bathroom door. Rin stared at Sesshoumaru, aware of just how close together they were despite the small space.

'Is that true?' she asked as quietly as she could. 'Did Izayoi really say that?'  
Sesshoumaru nodded. 'She did.'

From where he stood now, it didn't seem like a bad idea to him. Lifting his other hand, he let it rest on her hip and pulled her ever so slightly closer. Now would probably be a good time to stop and discuss the implications of Izayoi's statement, but Sesshoumaru was much more interested in seeing Rin's reaction to his proximity.

Rin allowed herself to be pulled towards Sesshoumaru and found herself tilting her head back slightly to maintain eye contact. It wasn't unpleasant there being such a height difference between them and she found herself exhaling slowly, not realising that she had been holding her breath.

'Well it's obvious Sesh isn't here,' Inuyasha's voice came from just the other side of the door and the bathroom door handle started to turn. 'I'll just have a quick look in here to make sure. Don't think I've ever seen what's behind this door.'  
'Sate your curiosity on your own time, Inuyasha,' Inutaisho admonished his son, sounding slightly irritated. 'Let's go.'  
'Hold your horses, old man. Sesh would skin me alive for snooping round his office.'  
'As he should. You're violating his privacy.'

The irony of that statement was more than Rin could bear. Laughter threatened to burst forth and she bit her lip to hold it back. Glancing up and meeting Sesshoumaru's gaze, she saw amusement in his eyes.

'Well you carry on then, old man,' Inuyasha commented. 'I'm still going to have a look in here.'

Sesshoumaru's eyes widened as the door just behind him opened and pushed him forward towards Rin. He let go of her and braced his hands on either side of her to prevent him crushing her between himself and the wall. Fortunately they were hidden behind the door, but the small space they hid in meant that they were intimately pressed together.

'Nah, nothing in there but a bathroom.'  
Inutaisho sighed heavily. 'I could've told you that Inuyasha.'

Father and son left the office, arguing with each other as they went. The door closed with a loud click and the office was plunged into silence. Sesshoumaru froze in place. He knew that he should move but he couldn't bring himself to shift a muscle. They stood so close together that he could feel her chest rising and falling rapidly against his own. Her dainty hands sat on his shoulders, ready to try and hold him upright when he had been suddenly pushed towards her.

It was an inappropriate position for and employer and his employee, but Sesshoumaru realised that he didn't care. Rin didn't seem to be protesting and he was definitely not complaining. Her slender body felt just right pressed against his own as it was. She felt small and vulnerable and the desire to wrap his arms around her slim waist was almost unbearable.

Rin turned her head to one side, biting her lip as she valiantly tried to ignore the blush that spread across her face. Sesshoumaru's lean body seemed to radiate strength and she could feel the muscles in his arms tense beneath her touch. Somehow she didn't feel uncomfortable with his proximity, but as much as she wanted the moment to last longer, she knew that there was no longer any reason to remain in this small room with him.

'I believe there are things we must discuss?' Rin asked quietly, looking up at Sesshoumaru from beneath her lashes.  
Sesshoumaru nodded slowly and reluctantly pushed himself away from her. 'Indeed. Our breakfast should be arriving soon if it has not already done so.'  
Rin stared at him in surprise. 'Breakfast?'  
'Yes. The question is, shall we eat here and have our conversation here in the office or shall we go elsewhere?'  
'Where else is there to go?'  
'My home. Your home,' he shrugged and looked at her for help. 'We could leave the city for the morning if it would help.'  
Smiling slightly, Rin shook her head and ducked under his arms. 'You decide. I'm happy as long as I can have a change of clothes.'

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Just over an hour later, Rin found herself sitting comfortably on the balcony outside Sesshoumaru's apartment. The chair was large and as she curled her feet beneath her on the chair, she sighed in contentment. She probably shouldn't feel this comfortable in her employer's home, but she didn't care. In any case, she suspected that she was going to have to stop thinking of Sesshoumaru as just her employer by the end of this conversation.

Sesshoumaru stepped out onto the balcony and took in the sight of Rin sitting there quietly before moving forward. She wore clothes so different from what he normally saw her dressed in that it was hard to believe it was the same person. He had never seen her dressed anything other than formally so this was something of a surprise. Shaking his head, he placed the food on the table and sat down opposite her.

'You should have called me,' Rin chastised him, eyeing the food and looking back at him. 'I'd have come and helped.'  
Sesshoumaru shrugged and reached for his coffee. 'It's not a problem.'

The pair ate in silence for a little while and Sesshoumaru wondered how Rin was feeling. For him, the whole situation of being on his balcony at this time of the morning with her felt very intimate somehow and not in an unpleasant way. No woman he had ever been with had made it back to his apartment, he made sure of that. As the relationships had a tendency to not last very long, the last thing he wanted was for some woman to make herself at home in his apartment. Rin, as always, was a different story.

'Did Izayoi really say what your father said?' Rin asked eventually, refusing to meet his gaze as she concentrated on her food.  
'She did.'  
'What did you say?'  
Sesshoumaru paused to cast his mind back to that day. 'Not much, honestly. She caught me by surprise so I choked on my food.'  
Rin raised her head to look at him, certain he was teasing her. She laughed when she found him staring back at her seriously. 'I can't imagine anyone taking you by surprise.'  
'Izayoi manages it with frightening frequency.'  
'Why would she want you to marry? Surely if you wanted to, you'd have already done so?'

Sesshoumaru stared at Rin in surprise. Somehow he had been expecting her to agree with his stepmother and say that he should marry. He was under the impression that marriage seemed to matter a great deal to women and the fact that Rin had asked that very question made him view her with new respect.

'That is a question no one ever asks me,' Sesshoumaru confessed quietly. 'Most people agree with Izayoi, but I suspect that it's because they have someone in mind that they think I should marry.'  
Rin sighed. 'Rich ladies with nothing better to do than match make?'  
'Something like that.'  
'So why does Izayoi want you to marry?'  
Sesshoumaru frowned and stared down into his coffee cup. 'Her sole reason is because she enjoys mothering people and wants a large family. I think she means well. However, she is correct. I am going to have to marry sooner or later.'  
'Why?'  
'I need an heir to leave my portion of the family business to. My father has left it to Inuyasha and myself. Inuyasha's portion will go to Hanako in the future but mine will probably be given to Inuyasha if I don't have an heir.'  
'Is that a bad thing?'  
'Inuyasha doesn't read enough books to know how to do my job properly. He wouldn't know the first thing about running my side of the business. Kagome helps him a great deal with the magazine.'  
Rin nodded slowly, frowning as she took in all the information. 'That's perfectly understandable, but why would Izayoi suggest you marry me? There are other people better suited to being your wife than me.'  
'She likes you, Rin. Izayoi has decided that you are the type of person she wants for a daughter-in-law.'  
'So she'll attempt to get me to marry you?'  
Sesshoumaru shook his head. 'She'll continue to drop subtle hints to me until something is done.'  
'The last hint sounded about as subtle as a sledgehammer.'

Despite himself, Sesshoumaru chucked at her statement. It was true, Izayoi didn't know the meaning of subtle. Looking at Rin, he found her smiling as she watched him over the rim of her coffee cup. Marriage to Rin wouldn't be a bad thing. They already had a relatively easy-going relationship and he doubted that it would suddenly change just by exchanging vows.

'So how do you feel about Izayoi's suggestion?' Rin asked, placing her cup down carefully and avoiding his eyes. She didn't want to know the answer to that question, but she knew she had to ask.  
'Honestly?' Sesshoumaru ran a hand through his hair and looked at her intently. 'It's her best idea to date.'  
Rin raised her eyebrows in surprise. 'You approve of her idea?'  
'Yes. The question is, how do you feel about it?'

Shock raced through her as she stared back at the stoic man sitting opposite her. He was sitting still in his chair, looking as calm and collected as always. He didn't look at all as though he had just said that he would happily marry her. Rin wasn't too sure what to make of the situation. She certainly wouldn't mind being married to him, but that didn't mean that she would marry him.

Sitting back in her chair, Rin pulled her legs up and wrapped her arms around her knees. Leaning her head against her knees she looked out over the city. The sounds of everyday life drifted up from the streets below but her thoughts would not be drowned out by the sounds.

Marriage to Sesshoumaru would be a step up in her life, that much was true, but she didn't know what would be expected of her. She would get her inheritance and have a chain of successful restaurants courtesy of her father's will and her marriage to Sesshoumaru, but what would he get out of the bargain?

'If we were to marry, I would get my inheritance,' Rin murmured, not looking at Sesshoumaru.  
'This is true.'  
'What would you ask in return?'  
Sesshoumaru frowned. 'In return? What do you mean?'  
'If I get my inheritance, I become an heiress in my own right. What do you gain from marriage to me?'  
'You.'

The simple statement floored Rin. She stared at Sesshoumaru in surprise. Never in a million years would she have thought that that would have been his answer. So lost in her thoughts, she didn't noticed Sesshoumaru get to his feet and move towards her.

'I am not especially expressive about my emotions, Rin. I'm sure you're aware of this.'  
Rin smiled weakly. 'That has been pretty obvious.'  
'You are a genuinely kind person. I would count myself lucky to have you for a wife.'  
'So is this a proposal?' she asked, slowly getting over her shock and reverting back to her good-natured self.  
Sesshoumaru pulled his chair around to sit beside her. 'It might be.'  
'I think you need to work on it a bit more.'  
'I'm not renowned for my people skills.'  
Rin sat back in her chair and smiled at him. 'Perhaps not, but you can still do better.'  
'I take it that that was s refusal?'  
'Not at all. You haven't asked me anything yet. I'm just saying that you need to work on your proposal.'

Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow at the petite woman and smiled slightly. She hadn't gone running in the opposite direction or outright refused him. In fact, the return of her usual good humour was a good sign as far as he was concerned. She would quite clearly keep him on his toes, but he didn't mind.

'Your challenge is accepted,' Sesshoumaru murmured, reaching for her left hand and pressing his lips against her fingers gently. 'There will be a ring on this hand by the end of the week.'  
Rin laughed to cover her embarrassment. 'How do you know I'll say yes?'  
'Because I'm confident in my abilities.'

Sighing to herself, Rin smiled at Sesshoumaru and couldn't help the bubble of excitement that started to grow in her chest. For a man who kept his cards so close to his chest, Sesshoumaru had revealed far more to her this morning than she had ever expected. It was impossible to tell what would happen next, but one way or another, she knew that she was going to enjoy the rest of the week.


	9. Chapter 9

**IX**

Sleep that night had not been forthcoming and as Rin trudged towards the office the next day she felt as though she hadn't slept in days. Sesshoumaru had suggested that they both take the previous day off to gather their thoughts on the change in their circumstances. It had been a welcome suggestion and despite the situation being rather odd, she was looking forward to see how the week would go on.

'Rin!'

Inutaisho's voice caused her to stop in her tracks, only feet away from the corridor that led down to Sesshoumaru's office. The older man grinned when he saw her and she knew that she couldn't have carried on walking - he was far too charming. It struck Rin then that she was about to have a conversation with the very man who could be her future father-in-law by the end of the week. It brought a smile to her face. That wasn't at all an unpleasant thought.

'Good morning, Rin,' Inutaisho greeted her with a grin and gestured for her to continue walking.  
'Good morning, sir.'  
'You and Sesshoumaru weren't in yesterday. Was there a problem?'  
'Not at all, sir. Mr. Takahashi simply gave me the day off as he was planning to spend the day recovering,' she murmured, trying to ignore the pang of guilt she felt. What she said was the truth, just not the whole story.  
Inutaisho raised his eyebrows. 'Is Sesshoumaru better?'  
'I wouldn't know, sir. I haven't spoken to him since yesterday.'

If Inutaisho had any thoughts on Rin's story, he didn't give voice to any of them. Ever the gentleman, he opened the door to the office for her and grinned as he ushered her past. There were times when Rin wondered what he had been like as a younger man. His cheerful disposition was contagious and she couldn't help but smile back.

The smile dropped as she stepped into the office and was replaced by a look of utter shock. Inutaisho looked past her and whistled in appreciation. Sitting on Rin's desk was quite possibly the biggest bouquet of flowers she had ever seen. It was also possibly the most beautiful bouquet she had ever seen. Pink chrysanthemums sat among the orange roses and vibrant yellow lilies. It took her breath away.

'Very pretty, Rin,' Inutaisho grinned at her. 'Who're they from?'  
'It doesn't say,' she replied in a slightly awed voice. She knew exactly who they were from, but she wasn't about to share that information.  
'Let's see if Sesh is in. Maybe he saw your mystery man.'

Without waiting for a reply, Inutaisho wrapped an arm around Rin's waist and pulled her towards the doors to Sesshoumaru's office. Rin blushed at the thought of facing Sesshoumaru after the day before and not being able to say much because of the presence of his father. She didn't want to tell Inutaisho that there was a possibility that she and Sesshoumaru would marry. If it all went south then she could at least lick her wounds in private.

Sure enough, Sesshoumaru was sitting behind his desk. Papers were scattered everywhere and a half empty cup of coffee sat beside his computer. He was so engrossed in what he was doing that he didn't seem to notice the pair come into his office, or maybe he did and simply hadn't yet acknowledged them. Rin was constantly surprised by his actions and by how perceptive he was.

'Morning, Sesh,' Inutaisho boomed, dropping down into a chair and grinning at his son.  
'Morning, Father,' Sesshoumaru murmured, raising his head and glancing at Rin who hovered uncertainly behind his father. 'Morning, Rin.'  
'Good morning, sir,' she replied, smiling slightly before moving around to tidy the room.  
'You wouldn't happen to know anything about Rin's gift, would you?' Inutaisho asked, smirking as Rin blushed furiously.  
'Gift?' Sesshoumaru asked, his voice suggesting he had no idea what his father was talking about.  
'Yes. That massive pot of flowers on her desk.'  
Sesshoumaru shrugged and picked up a piece of paper, beginning to read it. 'No idea. It wasn't there when I arrived.'  
'Shame that. It'd be nice to have something exciting happen around here,' Inutaisho said with disappointment. 'It can be so dull sometimes.'  
'You are not required to be here every day, Father. You could go home.'  
'That's dull too.'  
'Don't let Izayoi hear you say that.'

Eventually, Inutaisho left the office and Sesshoumaru was left alone with Rin. He had been watching her discreetly throughout his conversation with his father. Initially she had been somewhat flustered by the bouquet on her desk, but she seemed to have calmed now and was going about her daily routine of tidying his office and organising his work.

'I wonder where your gift came from,' Sesshomaru murmured, leaning back in his chair and hoping he seemed casual enough that Rin would not guess that they were from him.  
Rin paused going through a small stack of paper and raised her eyebrows. A smile curved her lips before she turned back to her task. 'I wonder. It's such a lovely gift. Obviously whoever sent it has excellent taste.'  
'Is that so?'  
'Definitely. A simple bouquet of roses is terribly cliché. Lilies and carnations are every bit as beautiful as roses.'

Sesshoumaru felt a small degree of pride at her praise. He knew very little about flowers but somehow that particular bouquet had struck him as perfect for Rin. The fact that she liked it so much was good news indeed. He wouldn't admit it, but he had been sitting on tenterhooks for the last hour as he waited for her to arrive so he could see her reaction.

'Would you like some more coffee, sir?' Rin asked, reaching for his cup and indicating that her morning routine of sorting his office was now over. 'You have a meeting in half an hour with your editors.'  
Sesshoumaru sighed. 'Yes, please. Would you sit in on the meeting please, Rin? You seem to be able to keep those overgrown children in line.'  
'Of course, sir.'

Smiling to herself, Rin stepped out of the office and felt her smile grow at the sight of the flowers on her desk. Sesshoumaru wasn't going to admit to leaving the flowers there, but she recognised his handwriting on the card that she had carefully put in her pocket to make sure Inutaisho didn't see.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

The day passed slowly and Rin felt exhausted by the end of it. Sighing loudly, she stretched her arms above her head and smiled in satisfaction as she felt the tension disappear from her shoulders. It was long past time for her to leave for the day and she could only wonder when she had become so dedicated to her job. She was sure she had never been so eager to work extra hours in her previous jobs.

Glancing at her computer screen, she decided that she could afford to stay at bit longer to ensure this particular task was done. Getting to her feet and picking up her coffee cup as she moved, Rin glanced into Sesshoumaru's office to ask if he would like a refill. His chair was turned away from the door and it was obvious that he was on the phone to someone. Deciding not to interrupt, she stepped into the room and picked up his mug before heading out the door to the kitchenette.

Rin hummed quietly to herself as she prepared the drinks and waited for the water to boil. She jumped in surprise when she saw an arm out of the corner of her eye. Turning slightly, she realised that Sesshoumaru stood behind her, his arms propped up on the counter on either side of her. She was trapped.

'I assumed you'd want another drink,' she said quietly, looking up at him over her shoulder. 'You didn't look like you were getting ready to leave.'  
Sesshoumaru shook his head. 'I'm not, but you should be. You should have left over an hour ago, Rin.'  
'I'm in the middle of doing something.'  
'It can wait until tomorrow. Go home.'

Sesshoumaru couldn't believe he had just told her to go home. He had her alone in the office without any chance of interruptions for the first time that day and he had just told her to go home. It had been a stupid thing to say, but he didn't want her overworking herself on his account.

His eyes widened slightly when Rin moved, apparently not in the least bit concerned that she was boxed in by his arms or that she need only lean back slightly and their bodies would be pressed together. Leaning forward slightly, he watched over her shoulder as she made the coffee before nudging his stomach gently with her elbow.

'You'll need to move if you want coffee.'  
'How long as you planning to stay?' Sesshoumaru asked. He hadn't moved an inch and looked down at her intently, his gaze drawn by the way her earrings glinted in the light.  
Glancing over her shoulder again, Rin bit her lip at Sesshoumaru's intense look. Taking a deep breath, she reached for the coffee cups. 'As long as it takes for me to finish what I'm working on.'  
'How long will that take?'  
'A long time if you keep me trapped here.'

Sesshoumaru realised that much as he wanted Rin to remain, it was obvious that she was tired. She had turned her gaze back to the coffee cups in her hands and he smirked at her inattention. Leaning down, he pressed his lips briefly against her neck before reaching round and taking his cup out of her hands. Turning on his heel, he started towards the doorway before glancing at her over his shoulder.

'Bring your laptop into my office. If you insist on staying late, you can at least be comfortable.'

Rin stared at him as he wandered back into his office as though everything was completely normal. Her mind was going a mile a minute and she was sure her jaw had dropped. The man was completely mad. It was still broad daylight and they were still in the office. It might have been after hours but that didn't mean that there weren't others in the building working late as well.

Grabbing her coffee and her laptop as she passed her desk, she walked into Sesshoumaru's office and found him sitting behind his desk. He looked very much as though he had never left his desk and wandered into the kitchenette. He glanced up when she walked in and closed the door behind her before turning his gaze back to his computer.

'Have you taken leave of your senses?' Rin demanded, her face flushed and pulse racing.  
Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow. 'Not that I'm aware of.'  
'You can't behave like that in the office! What if someone walked in. Your reputation would be ruined!'  
'Behave like what, Rin?'

Sesshoumaru smirked inwardly as he took in Rin's appearance. Her eyes widened as he slowly got to his feet and walked around the desk to stand in front of her. He had managed to crack her professional shell and it amused him no end. Her face was adorably flushed and a brief glance was all it took to see that her breathing was not as steady as normal. To think that a simple kiss on her neck had caused such a reaction was thrilling.

'You can't...' she floundered, her blush intensifying and her hands waving uselessly as she struggled for words.  
'I can't what, Rin?' Sesshoumaru asked quietly, leaning back against the edge of his desk.  
'Kiss me,' Rin all but whispered the words.  
Pushing himself upright, Sesshoumaru leaned towards her slightly. 'That was hardly a kiss, Rin.'

Stubbornly refusing to meet Sesshoumaru's amber gaze, Rin looked away and frowned as ferociously as she could in an attempt to control herself. The kiss itself was not what had thrown her so much. It was more the fact that he had done it in a place where anyone might've walked in. He might not care if anyone saw his antics, but she cared a great deal!

'I don't care what you call it,' Rin told him sternly, taking a deep breath and meeting his gaze. 'Not in the office.'  
Sesshoumaru smirked. 'Technically we weren't in the office.'  
'That's the problem! Anyone could have seen you do that!'  
'No one can see us now.'  
'Stop avoiding the subject!'

He honestly hadn't meant to upset her but he'd been unable to help himself. Deciding that it was in his best interests to surrender to her before she really got angry with him, he reached out and took her hands.

'I'm sorry, Rin,' he said sincerely. 'I didn't mean to upset you.'  
She glared at him and pulled her hands away to cross her arms. 'You didn't upset me. You just need to be more aware of your surroundings.'  
'Why should I be more aware of my surroundings?'  
'Well if you're going to surprise me with kisses, at least spare me an audience!'  
Sesshoumaru smirked and pushed himself upright. 'Again, that was hardly a kiss, Rin.'

A squeak of surprise escaped her lips as she found herself pressed against the edge of Sesshoumaru's desk while he towered over her, once again trapping her in place with an arm on either side of her. Her breath left her lungs in a whoosh as he smiled at her briefly before lowering his head to her shoulder.

'You are so dainty,' Sesshoumaru murmured as he nuzzled her neck gently.  
'I'm not that small,' she replied in a breathless voice, instinctively tilting her head slightly.  
'You are just right.'  
'For what?'

In answer to her question, Sesshoumaru slipped an arm around her waist and lifted her off her feet and seated her on the edge of the desk. He smirked against her neck as she gasped in surprise and kissed her neck gently before leaning away. Her face was even more flushed than before and this time he was sure it had nothing to do with irritation.

'I feel I should make a comment about how inappropriate this is,' Rin murmured, trying to get her breathing back under control as she gazed up at him.  
'But?'  
She smiled suddenly. 'I don't care.'

Chuckling quietly at her frank admission, Sesshoumaru nipped her neck gently before stepping away from her. He was getting far too carried away.

'You really should go home, Rin,' he said quietly, placing his hands on her waist as he helped her down from the desk.  
'Why?'  
'You are temptation incarnate.'  
Rin laughed. 'Don't be silly. Just ignore me like you always do. You'll manage.'

Without another word, Rin sat down in an armchair and pulled her laptop towards her. She got straight back to work without even giving him another look and Sesshoumaru couldn't help but smile to himself. If only she realised that he never ignored her. It simply wasn't possible. She was never far from his thoughts, even more so now.

She still had not given any indication of whether or not she would accept his proposal, but there were still four days left of the week and he was nothing if not determined. Deciding that he would have to be more creative if he was going to convince her, he turned away and went back to his desk to plan his next move. 


	10. Chapter 10

**X**

'Good morning, Rin.'

Jumping slightly in surprise, Rin looked up to find Inutaisho standing beside her with a grin on his face. She had been searching through her bag for the keys to the office and had been unaware of his approach. Pulling her keys out of her bag, she smiled at the older man.

'Good morning, sir.'  
'You're early this morning,' Inutaisho commented, taking one of the bags from her hands and waiting patiently for her to unlock the office door.  
Smiling gratefully, Rin unlocked the door and stepped into the dimly lit where her desk sat. 'I didn't manage to finish something yesterday so I want to get a head start on it today.'

Inutaisho didn't comment and remained standing in the doorway after Rin switched on the lights. Surprised that she wasn't being berated for thinking too much about work, Rin turned to look at the older man and found him staring at her desk with a slight smile on his face.

'You've got a pretty determined admirer, Rin,' he commented with a chuckle and stepped into the room.

Following his gaze, Rin stopped in shock as she found a single rose on her desk. It wasn't anywhere as extravagant as the enormous bouquet she had received the day before, but somehow the single white rose was even more poignant. It sat in an elegant glass vase beside her computer with an elegant purple ribbon tied around the neck of the vase.

A small envelope was propped up against the case with her name typed neatly across it. Reaching for the envelope with a hand that shook slightly, Rin opened it and wondered what she'd find. Slipping out the little card, her breath caught in her throat as she stared at the simple message: "Three Days".

'What does that mean?' Inutaisho asked, peering at the message over her shoulder. 'It sounds a little ominous.'  
Rin laughed weakly. 'I suppose it does.'  
'Any idea who gave you this and the bouquet yesterday?'  
'No,' she felt guilty as the lie left her lips but knew that she couldn't tell the truth just yet.  
'It's obviously someone in the this building or they'd not have access to the office.'

While Inutaisho continued to try and work out who could have left the gifts for Rin, she glanced towards Sesshoumaru's office and wondered if he had come in early. There were three days left that week and he had said that he would propose by the end of the week. Shaking her head to clear her mind of thoughts of him proposing to her, she reached out and touched the delicate white petals of the rose.

A smiled curved her lips as she looked at the beautiful flower. White roses were traditionally associated with new beginnings which is why they were often part of a bride's bouquet. It was a thoughtful and clever gift. She wondered if he had researched that little fact or if a kind person at the florist he had visited had told him that.

'Well Sesh isn't here so I guess I'll come back a bit later,' Inutaisho muttered with a sigh before glancing at Rin. 'Don't suppose you could do an old man a favour, could you?'  
'I can try, sir.'  
'Could you make sure he has no meetings on Friday afternoon please?'  
Rin nodded, surprised that the favour was something so simple. 'Of course. What would you like me to tell him if he asks?'  
'Don't worry about that. That's what I need to speak to him about.'

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

'That admirer of Rin's is persistent,' Inutaisho muttered as he sank down into a chair opposite Sesshoumaru several hours later.  
'So it seems,' Sesshoumaru replied, barely looking up from what he was working on.  
'That matter aside,' the older man said with uncharacteristic seriousness. 'There's something we need to discuss.'

Sesshoumaru sighed and pushed his paperwork aside. It was obvious from his father's tone of voice that he required his son's full attention. Glancing at the clock, Sesshoumaru realised that Rin would be out of the office for lunch and given how much Inutaisho enjoyed Rin's company, it seemed strange that he would come at a time when she wasn't present.

'Given how serious you are, I'm going to guess that it's something I'm not going to like?'  
Inutaisho shrugged. 'Depends how you look at it.'  
'That's not encouraging.'  
'The situation is quite simple, Sesh,' Inutaisho said with a sigh. 'I wanted you to be the first to know that I am going to retire at Christmas.'

Sesshoumaru raised his eyebrows in surprise. That hadn't been what he was expecting. His father was always so full of life that it seemed odd that he would decide to retire. Judging by his expression though, it had been something he had been considering it for quite some time.

'Shouldn't Inuyasha be involved in this conversation too?' Sesshoumaru asked, slightly unnerved by his brother's absence in light of the conversation topic.  
Inutaisho waved a dismissive hand. 'I'll speak to him later today. What happens next is more important for you to understand.'  
'Why?'  
'Now that I'm retiring, you need to seriously think about marriage. You need to make sure that you have an heir to pass this part of the business on to.'  
'What difference does it make if I don't have an heir? My part will simply pass to Hanako on my retirement.'  
Wincing at the comment, Inutaisho sat upright in his seat. 'It does, but that's not what I want.'  
'Why would you not want Hanako to inherit the company?'  
'This is nothing to do with Hanako. She will inherit Inuyasha's part of the company, but my intention when I set this company up was to leave a legacy to both my sons.'

The emphasis on the word "both" was not lost on Sesshoumaru and he sighed. He understood what his father was trying to say and honestly, he didn't want to have to give up his part of the company to his niece many years in the future. He loved her dearly, but the publication of books under his family's name had become his project and he was very proud of the work he and his department did.

'So you want me to marry and have a child?'  
'Exactly.'  
'Why the rush? It's not like I'm suddenly going to start aging faster because you've retired.'  
Inutaisho laughed. 'No, but I want another grandchild. I want to see your child, Sesh. I'm not going to live forever and I want to meet the woman that marries you.'  
Ignoring the unease that settled over him at his father's statement, Sesshoumaru leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. 'Why would you want to meet her?'  
'She'd have to be quite a woman to get you to marry her.'

Sighing at Inutaisho's words, Sesshoumaru knew that he had two options. He could either come clean about his plans to marry Rin or he could keep quiet on that front and hope his parents didn't try any matchmaking. Rubbing his eyes in irritation, he got to his feet and walked over to the office door. He could hear Rin's voice on the other side of the door which suggested her lunch break was over . It was a one-sided conversation so she had to be on the phone. Turning the key in the lock, he walked back to his father and looked at him seriously.

'Father, what I'm about to tell you must not leave this room.'  
Inutaisho raised his eyebrows. His eldest son was normally quite serious but this seemed over the top even for him. 'Of course. What's going on here, Sesh?'  
Sesshoumaru sighed again and ran his hands through his hair. 'It's about that admirer of Rin's.'  
'What about him?'  
'The gifts were from me.'

Silence followed that statement and Inutaisho could only stare at his son in amazement. It was so unlike Sesshoumaru to do something like that for anyone, let alone a woman he'd known for just short of a year. Smiling slightly, he leaned forward in his chair. It was an unexpected but not unwelcome development.

'You gave them to her?'  
'That's what I said.'  
'Why?'  
Looking distinctly uncomfortably with the conversation, Sesshoumaru leaned back in his chair and looked out the window. 'Let's just say you'll have a new daughter-in-law by the end of the week.'  
'Three days,' Inutaisho murmured, understanding the message on the card that had been left with the rose that morning.  
'Indeed.'  
'Well, aren't you two sneaky? Were you planning on sharing any of this information with the rest of us?'  
Sesshoumaru shrugged and smirked. 'Eventually. You must keep this to yourself for the moment. I haven't convinced Rin yet so there's a chance things could still go wrong.'  
'Don't be ridiculous. There's no way she can refuse and if I know you as well as I think I do, you won't let her.'  
'Of course I don't want her to refuse, but I'm not going to push the matter if she does.'  
'Can I talk to Rin about this?' Inutaisho enquired, wondering how Rin felt about this situation.  
'If you can find a way to discuss this with her without letting her know I told you this then go ahead. She'd skin me alive if she found out I told you.'  
Inutaisho laughed as he got to his feet. 'You'll be just fine, son. Your old man can be discreet when he wants to be, just wait and see.'  
'Forgive me if I don't share your confidence.'  
'Close up the office early on Friday and meet me at the house. Get your glad rags on and make sure you bring Rin.'  
Sesshoumaru looked at his father with obvious suspicion. 'Why?'  
'Just a family meal out. Hopefully we'll have something to celebrate.'

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Inutaisho smiled to himself as he peeked through the door into the foyer of Sesshoumaru's offices. As expected, the door to Sesshoumaru's office was closed although the faint murmur of voices from the meeting taking place could be heard from time to time. His gaze, however, was drawn to the desk just in front of the doors and he couldn't help but smile again.

Rin Nakamura sat quietly behind her desk, her gaze glued to her computer screen as her fingers flew over the keyboard. She hadn't noticed his presence and he was happy to just observe her for a little while longer. She looked stunning in a simple black and white outfit and her dark hair was pulled back out of her eyes into a neat bun at the nape of her neck. All in all, she was the picture of professionalism and he was about to step in and shake her world up a bit.

Clearing his throat loudly, he smiled as he stepped into the office and was greeted by Rin's cheerful smile. Unlike Sesshoumaru's previous secretaries, Rin seemed genuinely pleased to see him and it made him all the happier about the fact that, if all went to plan, she would be his new daughter-in-law by the end of the week.

'I'm afraid Mr. Takahashi is in a meeting with his editors,' Rin said apologetically, nodding towards Sesshoumaru's office.  
Inutaisho shook his head. 'I'm here to see you, Rin.'  
'Me?' She raised her eyebrows slightly before putting aside whatever she had been working on and giving him her full attention. 'Is there something I can help you with?'  
'Definitely. I need to borrow you for the afternoon.'  
'Are you sure that's wise? What if Mr. Takahashi finishes his meeting early?'  
'Leave it with me.'

Rin watched as Inutaisho disappeared into Sesshoumaru's office without knocking. She heard murmuring voices briefly before he stepped back into the foyer and offered her his arm. Rin stared at him in bemusement, what did this mean?

'He has given us his blessing,' Inutaisho said with a grin and ushered her out of the office and towards the exit. 'I promised that no harm would befall you and he seemed happy with that.'  
'Harm?'  
'Figuratively speaking, of course!'  
'What did you need me for, sir?'  
'Let's discuss it over lunch. I bet you haven't eaten yet.'

Without waiting for a response, Inutaisho led Rin down the street to a restaurant that he frequented. Within minutes, they were seated at a lovely table and waiting patiently for their lunch. Smiling at Rin's obvious confusion, Inutaisho leaned back in his chair and regarded her quietly for a moment while she was absorbed with taking in her surroundings. It was blatantly obvious why Sesshoumaru had chosen her.

'I'm sure you didn't take me out of the office just for lunch, sir,' Rin said with a smile after giving her lunch order.  
Inutaisho grinned. 'Of course not. I need your help with something, but I thought we could have lunch and chat first.'  
'What did you need my help with?'  
'Ah well, between you and me, I shall be getting a new grandchild in a few months and Izayoi suggested I ask you to help me choose a gift for Inuyasha and Kagome.'  
'Congratulations, sir,' Rin exclaimed with a smile. 'You must be very happy.'

Inutaisho paused for a moment before seeing his chance to bring up marriage and Sesshoumaru in the same conversation. Smothering a smile, he leaned his head on a hand and sighed audibly.

'Of course, I'm happy that Kagome and Inuyasha at least want to give me the brood of grandchildren I want,' Inutaisho sighed again and glanced at Rin with obvious sadness in his eyes. 'I just wish Sesh would hurry up and give me grandchildren.'  
Rin froze in her seat, not sure how to reply to that statement. Taking a sip of her drink, she calmed her flustered thoughts and looked at Inutaisho directly. 'I'm sure he will in time, he seems quite happy with his life at the moment.'  
'I suppose so, but as I pointed out to him the other day, I'm not going to live forever and I want to see my grandchildren! I don't understand what's holding him back.'  
'Perhaps he simply doesn't want to marry yet?'  
'Why would he not? Both Inuyasha and myself would definitely recommend the situation.' Inutaisho frowned before looking at Rin curiously. 'Surely it's not that he's unpopular with the ladies? If he were to ask you to marry him, what would you say?'

The conversation had taken an unexpected turn. Rin sat still in her chair, hundreds of different thoughts running through her mind. Did Inutaisho know that Sesshoumaru was going to propose to her? How was she supposed to answer that question without either offending Inutaisho or giving away the situation. Sighing, Rin rubbed her eyes briefly before deciding that truth was the best option. She didn't want to lie to this man.

Inutaisho frowned at Rin's hesitance and wondered if he had pushed her too far too soon. She looked shocked by the question and as he waited for her reply, he hoped she would give him a positive answer. He was pulled from his thoughts when Rin sighed softly and smiled.

'Why don't you ask me that same question next week and I'll tell you my answer then?'  
Doing his best to act surprised, Inutaisho raised his eyebrows and stared at Rin. 'Has Sesshoumaru proposed to you?!'  
Rin smiled weakly and wondered if telling Inutaisho this was such a good idea. 'No, not yet.'  
'Not yet? Well what's holding him back?!'  
'Nothing, he said that he would propose at the end of the week.'

Rin couldn't quite remember now how they had arrived at the agreement that he would propose on Friday, but it had been thrilling to come into work to find little gifts sitting on her desk each day. As she thought about it, her anxiety crept up when she realised that it was Thursday.

'The end of the week?'  
'Yes, sir. Friday.'  
Inutaisho raised his eyebrows again, still trying to appear surprised by the conversation. 'That's tomorrow, Rin.'  
'Yes, sir.'  
'You appear concerned. Why is that?'  
Rin sighed and sipped her drink again. 'I'm not sure I should really be discussing this with you, sir. You are his father after all.'  
'Tell me what the problem is,' Inutaisho smiled and took her hand, patting it gently and doing his best to act as a fatherly figure. 'I'm sure we can fix it.'

Relenting, she smiled and shook her head slightly. This man would probably be able to get blood from a stone.

'I just don't understand why he'd want to marry me,' Rin replied with a little shrug. 'I don't come from a prestigious family and I'm just a secretary.'  
Inutaisho grinned. 'Is that the problem? Well that's an easy fix.'

Turning her hand over on the table, Inutaisho touched her index finger and smiled.

'One, you're a genuinely nice person. Sesshoumaru might not show emotion as much as the rest of us, but he feels it all the same. I'd say you've melted that icy heart of his.' Inutaisho touched her next finger. 'Two, you're not just a secretary. You're a damn good secretary. If you can organise his work life so easily, you'll have no problem with his personal life. It's much less complicated. Three, you are an heiress whether you want to be or not. However, I'd say that plays a pretty minor role in why he wants to marry you.'  
'Sir...'  
'And finally,' Inutaisho grinned at her, not giving her a chance to speak. 'You're absolutely stunning. If I wasn't happily married and was a few years younger, I'd give Sesh a run for his money.'

Unable to help herself, Rin laughed. Inutaisho was absurd but she couldn't help but find it endearing. He grinned at her as she tried to control her laughter. Eventually, she sat back and wiped the tears of mirth from her eyes.

'So tell me, Rin,' Inutaisho started with a smile and took her hand in his again. 'Can I expect good news tomorrow? Can I start thinking of you as a daughter rather than my son's secretary?'  
Rin smiled, more at ease with the conversation now. 'Your son can't know about this conversation.'  
'Of course not. It shall be our secret.'  
'My answer hasn't changed. I think you know what it is.'

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Sesshoumaru sighed as he stepped out of his office several hours later to bid farewell to his colleagues. It had been a very long afternoon and he was very glad that it was over. As the last of his colleagues left the office, he walked into the kitchen and made himself a fresh cup of coffee. Rin was obviously still out with his father and although he knew where she was, he couldn't help but worry about her.

His father had given no indication as to where they were going or what they would be doing. Sesshoumaru knew that his father was going to attempt to convince Rin to accept his proposal, but he wondered if he really needed to rely on his father's assistance. He had a feeling that his own efforts had stood him in good stead with Rin.

Sighing at the complexity of the situation, Sesshoumaru left the kitchen and headed back towards his office. Just as he reached his office door, the foyer door opened and Rin stepped through the door. Raising his eyebrows at her flushed appearance and vibrant smile, he felt his lips twitch slightly. Her smile was apparently contagious. Their eyes met and he felt his spirits rise when her smile seemed to grow.

Inutaisho stepped through the door behind her and grinned at his son. The older man held multiple bags in his hands and seemed overly pleased with himself. Without greeting his son, Inutaisho walked over to Rin and pushed three bags into her hands, ignoring her protests.

'Thank you for your company today, Rin. I had a splendid afternoon!'  
Rin smiled. 'Thank you for having me along, sir. It was most enjoyable.'

Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed as he listened to the brief exchange. Something between these two had changed but he couldn't quite put his finger on what it was. They shared a secretive smile before Rin left them alone and headed into the kitchen. Inutaisho glanced at his son and winked as he left the office.

Completely at a loss about the whole situation, Sesshoumaru could only stare after his father. Closing his eyes briefly, he sent a prayer to any deity listening. He rarely prayed, but he would make an exception this time. Tomorrow was going to be difficult enough getting the proposal perfect, he prayed that his father had not made the situation any more difficult. 


	11. Chapter 11

**AN:** Apologies for the very long delay between updates. Unfortunately the last couple of weeks have been traumatic for a variety of reasons so writing has not been near the top of my list of priorities.

Things are starting to look up again but I have no idea how to approach this chapter! Bear with me if it's a bit rubbish. There's a pretty high chance that I will come back and re-write it at some point - maybe once the fic is complete. At this point I am concentrating more on the fact that this is a bit of a bland fic so far and it's annoying me somewhat as it's not how I planned it. We shall see how it goes :)

xMxAx

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

 **XI**

Winter was approaching. The days were becoming shorter, the nights longer and the weather increasingly cooler. Friday turned out to be a cold, blustery day but the weak sunlight promised that the day would not be entirely dull and dreary.

At opposite ends of the city, both Rin and Sesshoumaru fidgeted nervously as they prepared for the day without realising that they were as nervous as each other.

Having given up on trying to eat her breakfast, Rin stood beside the front door and stared at her reflection in a full length mirror. A quick glance told her that it was nearly time to leave for work, but she found herself hesitating. Today was the day. Today was the day Sesshoumaru claimed that he would propose to her. A wave of panic washed over her as she briefly wondered if he might change his mind and not propose after all. What would she do then?

Squashing the feeling of panic, Rin smoothed her hands down her smart but simply cut dress. The orange dress was not the type of thing she would normally wear to work, but given the occasion, she hoped that her favourite colour might give her a boost of confidence. After inspecting her hair to make sure it was all in place, she slipped her feet into her shoes and left the house before her courage deserted her.

'You look lovely, my dear,' Inutaisho commented quietly as he met her in the reception area of the office building. 'You'll knock his socks off.'  
Rin laughed softly, her anxiety about the day disappearing quickly. 'I think that is a bit beyond my capabilities, but I suppose I can try.'  
'No doubt he'll be arriving soon, let's get you settled in the office.'

Inutaisho took her arm and led her towards Sesshoumaru's office. He could tell that Rin was nervous, but there was nothing he could do to allay her fears. There was no question in his mind that Sesshoumaru would be proposing to her today and he knew without a shadow of a doubt what her reply would be, but there was nothing he could do to help either of them. They would have to work it out between them.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

The office building looked intimidating as he sat in his car and stared at it. Sesshoumaru sighed and ran a hand through his hair. It was highly unusual for him to be so nervous, but given his plans for the day, he supposed it was entirely natural. Sighing again, he pushed the door open and stepped out. Sitting here worrying wasn't going to help anything.

'Morning, Sesh.'

Sesshoumaru turned as he stepped into the building and found his father waiting beside the reception. The older man was leaning casually against the reception desk and grinning like a Cheshire cat. Pushing himself upright, he wandered over to his son and clapped him on the shoulder.

'She's in the office now.' Inutaisho jerked a thumb in the direction of Sesshoumaru's office and then lowered his voice. 'I don't know how you plan to do this, but just make sure there's good news to share when you come by later. Early finish today, don't forget.'

Nodding, Sesshoumaru left his father in the reception area and headed to his office. Pausing at the door, he took a deep breath and stepped inside. The foyer was empty and Rin was not at her desk. He closed the door and was surprised when Rin peered out of the kitchen area. She smiled cheerfully before disappearing back into the kitchen.

'Good morning, sir. Your coffee will be ready shortly,' she called, her good mood evident by the tone of her voice.

Slightly surprised by how normal the atmosphere seemed to have become, Sesshoumaru allowed himself to relax. She had obviously decided to treat today like a normal day so he should probably do the same. In any case, he had all morning with her. There was no need to spring the question on her the moment he walked through the door.

'Good morning, Rin.'

Moments later, he was seated comfortably behind his desk and Rin was bustling around the office in her usual fashion. There was no awkward tension between them as he had feared and Rin seemed determined to make today as normal as possible.

'You have a meeting in half an hour with a new client,' Rin reminded him, glancing at him quickly before returning her gaze to his schedule. 'Then I believe you are supposed to have a meeting with your brother? There're no details in the diary though.'  
Sesshoumaru nodded. 'Yes, Inuyasha and I were going to have a meeting. I think we can cancel it though since we'll be seeing each other this afternoon and the topic we were going to discuss is bound to come up.'

He watched as Rin nodded and scribbled something down on her notepad. The normality of the situation almost made him smile. It seemed somehow unfair that Rin was so calm and collected while he felt more nervous than he could ever remember having felt.

Her orange dress was far brighter than what she normally wore to work, but it looked good to see her in something other than black and white. Sesshoumaru took advantage of her inattention and trailed his gaze over her. The dress clung to her figure in a way that accentuated her slim figure before it flared out into a skirt that stopped just above her knees. It was sleeveless and showed just enough cleavage to tantalise him without being indecent. He shook his head slightly and smiled to himself as he wondered what she would do if he were to run his hands along her curves as he wanted to do. No doubt she would blush furiously.

It was that thought that got him to his feet and carried him across the room before his mind had caught up with him. After locking the office door with a slight click, he smirked when he saw Rin look up in surprise. Her eyebrows rose slightly as she watched him walk back towards her and she bit her lip nervously.

'You look terrified, Rin,' Sesshoumaru commented, amusement evident in his voice as he watched her step back towards his desk.  
She shook her head but couldn't meet his gaze. 'I'm not.'  
'Really?'

Rin found herself backed up against the edge of Sesshoumaru's desk and the memory of what had happened the last time she was in this position flashed into her mind making her blush. She glanced at Sesshoumaru and found that he had stopped moving and was standing not far from her. There was amusement in his eyes that made her want to smile. It made her want to keep that expression there.

'Is there something funny?'  
'Only you, Rin.'  
Pouting, she dropped his schedule on his desk and crossed her arms. 'What's so funny about me?'  
'You are shy and timid one moment and feisty the next,' he smirked and reached out to cup her face with one hand. 'I never know what to expect with you.'  
'That's a good thing,' she declared, tilting her head slightly to nuzzle his hand. 'It'll keep you on your toes.'

Sesshoumaru smiled then and dropped his hand to her waist, bringing her slightly closer. She smelled of vanilla and the scent teased his senses as she leaned towards him. Cupping her face in both hands, he tilted it upwards to meet his gaze.

'You know what day today is?' he asked, voice husky as he realised that the moment had come.  
Rin nodded slightly and smiled. 'It's Friday.'  
'You know what I'm going to ask, don't you?'  
'Yes, I do.'

Sighing to himself, Sesshoumaru wondered how he had ended up to be the lucky man in this position. When Rin had walked into his office nearly a year ago, he would never have thought he'd find himself in this position. He smiled when he realised that he owed his good luck, once again, to his father.

'Would you hurry up?' Rin murmured, a frown creasing her brow as she stared up at him. 'I'm on tenterhooks here. My heart feels like it's about to stop!'  
Sesshoumaru smirked. 'It definitely can't do that.'  
'Hurry up then!'  
Smirking again at her eagerness, Sesshoumaru took her hands in his and looked at her seriously. 'I'm not good with words, Rin. You know this. I would love to give you the romantic proposal you've probably dreamt of most of your life, but that's not how I am.'  
Rin shook her head and smiled. 'I don't need a romantic proposal.'  
'We haven't known each other very long, but I would be honoured if you would marry me.'

Silence fell over the room in the wake of his statement. It was done. It was said and there was no way to take it back. All that was left now was for Rin to reply. Fighting down his nervousness, he looked her in the eye and was relieved to see her smile.

'That's romantic enough for me,' Rin murmured with a smile. 'Yes, I will.'

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

The rest of the morning dragged by at a ridiculously slow pace. Sesshoumaru had to try very hard to curb his impatience when the client he was meeting with launched into a long story about her children. Honestly, he didn't care about her children. He just wanted her to read through the contract he had placed in front of her, sign it and leave.

They sat in the little meeting area and even the comfort of his surroundings did little to help improve his moon. The woman sat in one of the armchairs opposite and was so engrossed in her tale that she didn't notice Sesshoumaru's irritation.

'It sounds like you have a lovely family,' Rin's quiet voice gently interrupted. 'They sound very supportive of your writing. I expect they will be very excited for you when they hear of the contract you've signed today.'

The woman's story came to an abrupt halt as she gaze her complete attention to Rin. Sesshoumaru sat silently beside Rin on the sofa and watched in amazement as Rin managed to coax the woman into signing the contract while at the same time indulging her desire to chat. It was very clever and it reminded him so much of his father that he nearly smiled. The pair had clearly been spending a great deal of time together.

Rin nudged his side gently to get his attention as she rose to her feet. The other woman was pulling on her jacket and excitedly telling Rin about her plans for the rest of the day. Bidding the woman farewell, Sesshoumaru reached down to pick the contract and headed back to his desk while Rin showed the client out.

'Would you like me to file that?' Rin asked, nodding towards the contract as she walked back into the room. 'She'll need her own file setting up.'  
Nodding, Sesshoumaru handed it to her. 'Not today though, Rin. We're leaving.'  
'Where are we going?'  
'Lunch with the family.'  
'Is that why your father asked me to make sure you had no meetings this afternoon?'  
'Indeed.' Sesshoumaru looked at her and smiled vaguely. 'We also have news to share, do we not?'

Blushing slightly as she caught his meaning, Rin nodded and smiled. After leaving Sesshoumaru to go and clear her desk for the weekend, she sank down into her chair and sighed. Glancing down at her left hand, she couldn't help but smile as she saw the elegant diamond that sat on her finger. Excitement raced through her.

She had been unsure of how to respond to Sesshoumaru when he had said that he would propose to her, but she remembered that he didn't do things purely because others had requested it. If he wanted to marry her, it would be because that was what he wanted. Once she had come to terms with that, her answer had been as obvious as day.

'Are you ready?' Sesshoumaru asked, pulling on his jacket as he stepped out of his office.  
Jumping to her feet, Rin grabbed her bag and jacket. 'Ready.'

Sesshoumaru smiled to himself as he watched her come to stand beside him. She was obviously trying to keep a lid on it, but her excitement was obvious. Glancing at the door to make sure it was closed, he slipped an arm around her waist and pulled her against him. She squeaked in surprise but didn't make any effort to move. Instead, she smiled and tilted her head back slightly to meet his gaze.

The tension between them was palpable but Rin felt nothing but excitement. It was exhilarating being so close to Sesshoumaru and as he lowered his head towards hers, she fleetingly wondered if she would burst with excitement. While he continued to dominate her lips, his hands pulled her even closer and began to explore. Unable to help herself, Rin arched towards him and wrapped her arms around his broad shoulders.

'You could tempt a saint,' Sesshoumaru murmured against her lips, pulling back slightly but keeping his hands firmly on her hips. 'We must leave now or I may have to find excuses why we can't dine with the family.'  
Rin giggled and snuggled into his chest. 'Would that be such a bad thing?'  
'No, but we need to tell them sooner or later.'  
'I suppose you're right.'  
'Patience, Rin,' Sesshoumaru murmured into her ear as he gave her a last squeeze before releasing her. 'We have the rest of our lives.'  
Unable to help the smile that spread across her face, Rin nodded. 'That's such a nice thought.'


	12. Chapter 12

**AN:** **AN:** Thank you for your lovely reviews. I wasn't sure about the last chapter but your comments have inspired me :)

Apologies for the lack of updates. Things have been a bit manic lately and I've re-written this chapter several times. I'm still not happy with it but it's frustrating me that I can't progress with the fic until I can get this bit done.

Hopefully the next chapter won't be quite as frustrating!

xMxAx

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

 **XII**

Rin took a deep breath as she stared up at the house that belonged to her future in-laws, once again struck by the beauty of its simple design. Her heart raced as she considered the conversation she knew would have to happen shortly. A wave of dizziness rushed over her and she shook her head to clear it. Everything was a bit overwhelming, but it was a day that would be forever ingrained in her memory.

'Do you remember, Rin,' Sesshoumaru started, looking up at the house before glancing at her with amusement in his eyes. 'Do you remember the conversation we had about knights and damsels in distress?'  
Smiling at the memory, Rin turned in her seat to face him. 'Very well.'  
'I don't believe I'll mind too much if you've reached the damsel in distress stage now.'  
'I can assure you that I'm definitely not a damsel in distress, but it's good to know that you won't have to fend off any knights.'

Their gazes met as they both recalled the memory. By unspoken agreement, they both stepped out of the car and started towards the house. Rin hesitated slightly and walked a step behind Sesshoumaru, still not even remotely used to the thought that she was no longer just his secretary. Dizziness hit her again at that thought - she was his fiancée!

Sensing her hesitation, Sesshoumaru paused on the doorstep and took her hand in his, squeezing it gently in encouragement. He was not one to express sentiment vocally, but he knew that he could support Rin through his gestures.

'I trust you have good news?' Inutaisho's slightly muffled voice interrupted them before the door swung open to reveal the grinning older man and startling the pair on the doorstep.  
'Father, I would ask that you not try to not give us a heart attack,' Sesshoumaru deadpanned, ignoring his father's question. 'I'm sure I speak for Rin as well when I say that we would like to live to see our wedding day please.'

Inutaisho grinned at them and clapped his son on the shoulder before sweeping Rin up into a bear hug that left her breathless. After congratulating them both and looking fit to burst with pride, he turned on his heel and disappeared into the house, calling for his wife.

'Are you alright?' Sesshoumaru asked, looking at Rin with concern when he noticed that she had become quite pale.  
Rin nodded slowly and smiled. 'I'm fine, thank you. It was a bit of an exuberant greeting.'

Choosing to say nothing, Sesshoumaru simply nodded and gestured for Rin to go inside. He followed her down the corridor and frowned slightly as he walked. There was something not quite right with Rin, but he couldn't put his finger on it. He pushed the thought away quickly. She was probably just nervous. The day had been nerve-wracking for them both and it was only going to get busier now that they had to face their families.

'So you have news for us, do you?' Izayoi's voice called from the kitchen.

The pair found the rest of the family gathered around the kitchen table, all looking at them expectantly. Rin gasped in surprise when she saw her brother, sister-in-law and nephew sitting at the table as well. Glancing at Sesshoumaru, she smiled slightly when he shrugged his shoulders. Evidently Inutaisho had not been able to keep the secret to himself. It was a good thing that it was good news or the whole situation might be quite embarrassing for all concerned!

'She said yes,' Sesshomaru stated simply, slipping an arm around Rin's waist and smiling slightly as he watched his family's reactions.

The silence was deafening but it was shattered moments later by a chorus of 'congratulations' as the room descended into chaos. Everyone had left their seats and rushed over to the couple, showering them with affection. Even the ever present rivalry between Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha was forgotten for a short period of time.

Sesshoumaru glanced down at Rin and noticed her bemusement over the situation. She looked more than a little overwhelmed by all the excitement. He was struck then by how fragile she seemed in comparison to their boisterous family. Sesshoumaru tucked her against his side. When she looked at him in surprise, he merely smirked and gave her a look that suggested he knew exactly how she felt.

'I knew she would say yes,' Izayoi stated with a smile as she wiped tears from her eyes. Walking towards the pair, she wrapped her arms around them both and kissed each of their cheeks. 'I'm so glad you're joining the family, Rin. You'll keep him on track, I know you will.'  
Rin smiled slightly. 'He doesn't need to be kept on track, he manages just fine on his own.'  
'Don't be silly. Sesshoumaru has been engaging with the family much more lately. It's lovely!'

While Izayoi moved away and ushered everyone back to their seats so she could serve their lunch, Rin glanced at Sesshoumaru questioningly. He didn't seem any different to how he was normally. It struck her then that there were many things about this man that she didn't know about. Nudging his side gently, she smiled when he looked down at her.

'Let's sit or the food will be gone,' Rin said quietly and pulled him towards the table.  
Rin's brother, Haru, leaned towards the pair as they sat down and grinned at Sesshoumaru. 'Welcome to the family. I'll introduce you to your nephew later.'

Haru chuckled to himself and turned back to a conversation with Inuyasha while Sesshoumaru simply stared at the space Haru had occupied. His gaze wandered down the table and landed on a woman he had never met and a little dark haired boy. He was already an uncle to Hanako and it was then that it dawned on him that he now had a nephew by marriage. The boy in question looked up from his plate and met Sesshoumaru's gaze. They stared at each other for a few moments before the boy smiled and went back to his food.

'Kenji likes you,' Rin murmured, leaning towards him slightly as she looked at her nephew.  
'How can you tell?'  
'He's very reserved with strangers but the fact that he smiled at you is a good sign.'

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

The meal passed quickly and there was much excitement at the table. Inutaisho finally announced to the rest of the family that he would be retiring at Christmas. Rather than being a shock moment as Rin expected, the rest of the family took it all in stride. She already knew about the news and she got the distinct impression that the news didn't surprise the rest of the family although they said nothing. Instead, they all agreed that it would be a good idea.

Much later, Sesshoumaru was sitting outside in the garden with the rest of the family. His gaze was drawn to Rin who sat not far away with Izayoi and Kagome. Kenji sat on her lap, looking as though he were on the verge of sleep as he rested his head against her shoulder. Sesshoumaru turned slightly in his seat when he sensed someone occupy the seat beside him.

'You're a very lucky man, y'know?' Haru said quietly, following Sesshoumaru's gaze. 'Rin has turned down nearly every single man that's crossed her path. She wouldn't even consent to one date.'  
'Why?' Sesshoumaru was confused by the idea of Rin doing such a thing. Frowning, he tore his gaze from her and settled it on her brother.  
Haru shrugged. 'No idea. She went through a men hating stage after her father marriage our step-mother. She was only a teenager then, but maybe it just became habit to turn down any man who came near her.'  
'Seems bizarre but not impossible I suppose.'  
'You will look after her, won't you?' Haru suddenly seemed concerned as he looked at his sister. 'She's not as strong as she portrays.'  
'What do you mean?'  
'If you don't know yet, you will find out soon enough.' Haru held up a glass of fruit juice and nodded towards Rin. 'Give her that. She looks like she needs it.'

Without saying any more, Haru stood up and walked over to his wife who was deep in discussion with Inuyasha and Inutaisho. Confused by the man's meaning, Sesshoumaru got to his feet and walked over to Rin. The conversation paused as he arrived. Izayoi looked down at the sleeping Kenji and offered to take him to his mother. Following her mother-in-law's lead, Kagome left the pair alone.

'Your brother said you looked like you needed this?' Sesshoumaru murmured as he sat down beside her and offered her the glass of fruit juice.  
Rin frowned slightly but took the glass and sipped it. 'Thank you. Are you enjoying the afternoon?'  
'It's been pleasant. Are you? You're looking a bit tired.'  
'I am wearing out a bit now, I think,' Rin replied with a vague smile, surprised that Sesshoumaru had mentioned it.  
'Do you want to leave?'  
'Not yet,' she smiled at him. 'It's so nice being with everyone. I'll be fine for a while longer.'  
Nodding, Sesshoumaru glanced down at her now empty glass and smirked. 'Would you like another?'

Rin followed his gaze and smiled. Lifting one of her hands away from the glass and realising that she was shaking slightly, she glanced at Sesshoumaru to see if his sharp eyes had noticed that. The small frown on his face indicated that he had and she sighed. She nodded and put her glass into his waiting hand.

'I think that would be a good idea.'  
'Let's go back to the table then. You'll have access to as much fruit juice as you'd like,' Sesshoumaru murmured in what he hoped came across as a teasing tone.

His mind was working quickly as he ran his mind back over the events of the day. In the excitement of their engagement, they had not eaten until they arrived at his parents' home and he wondered briefly if Rin had not eaten enough. He pushed that thought aside as she had eaten some of the hearty meal that Izayoi had prepared even if it had not been as much as others at the table.

Sighing to himself, he wondered if Rin's body was simply not as strong as she portrayed herself. She was a little wobbly on her feet when she stood up beside him and he couldn't help the twinge of worry he felt. Her face was not quite as pale as it had been before she had the fruit juice and he decided that it might be in her best interests to get her more of the stuff.

'I won't fall over,' Rin commented quietly with a smile as she felt Sesshoumaru's arm come around her waist. 'I promise I won't.'  
'Hmm,' Sesshoumaru wasn't convinced but chose to keep that to himself. 'I suppose you really would be a damsel in distress if you did fall over.'  
Rin giggled and allowed him to led her towards the table. 'Then would you be the knight that comes to my rescue?'  
Smirking at her her, he pulled her closer against him and squeezed her gently. 'I think I'd rather be the knight than the one that has to fend them off.'

Unbeknownst to the couple, the rest of the family were watching the interaction with varying degrees of surprise and joy. The three women whispered between them about how happy the couple were while Inuyasha could only stare at his brother in shock.

'That... that is not my brother,' he stated, staring at his brother as though he was a creature from another planet.  
'Now, now, Inuyasha,' Izayoi admonished him with a smile. 'He's happy. Rin's managed to get him to express his emotions a little bit more. Hopefully we'll be seeing more of that.'  
'It has been a long time since I've seen him smile like that,' Kagome said quietly and grinned her husband. 'It's it amazing what the love of a good woman can do?!'  
'Well, I guess I can stop worrying about my sister then,' Haru commented with a grin. 'I think she's going to be well looked after.'  
'Of course she will be,' Kagome agreed before glancing at her husband and father-in-law. 'If there's one thing about a Takahashi man, it's that they know how to treat the women in their lives.'

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

A while longer turned into several more hours and it was soon approaching 9pm when Sesshoumaru finally glanced down at his watch. He was surprised that time had flown by so quickly and as he looked around the room, it was obvious that others were also beginning to tire. On the sofa opposite, Kagome was tucked into Inuyasha's side and was fast asleep while their daughter slept just as peacefully on her grandmother's lap. Kenji lay across both his parent's laps, sighing every so often when his mother stopped running her hand through his hair.

He had finally met his sister-in-law and his nephew. Kenji was a very nice child and Sesshoumaru could only hope that Hanako grew up to have half the manners that Kenji did. The little boy shyly explained that he enjoyed reading when Rin finally managed to coax him into talking.

Kenji had been excited when he learnt that his new uncle published books for a living. The little boy had somehow managed to twist Sesshoumaru right around his little finger with minutes of meeting him and found himself promised a trip to the office where Sesshoumaru agreed to see if he could find some new children's books for him.

Rin had been quick to reassure her sister-in-law that it would be no problem at all to have Kenji at the office for a couple of hours. His mother had readily given her consent stating that she knew her son would be well looked after.

As his thoughts turned to Rin, Sesshoumaru wondered if she was feeling any better. She had perked up quite a lot after they had returned to the table but since they had come indoors, she had been rather quiet. Glancing down at her from the corner of his eye, he was not entirely surprised to find her also asleep and smirked to himself as he shifted her against his side slightly to make her more comfortable. To his amusement, she sighed and snuggled into his side and rested her head against his shoulder.

'Today has been very exciting but it must've been exhausting for her,' Izayoi commented with a smile as she looked over at Rin.  
'Too much excitement in one day,' Inuyasha agreed, looking at his sleeping wife. 'We should probably head home. I'm going to have a job on my hands getting both of these two back.'  
'Hanako is more than welcome to spend the night here, dear,' Izayoi offered, running her hand gently through the child's hair as she spoke. 'She's stayed here before so she'll be alright. In any case, your father and I know are perfectly capable of looking after a little girl after raising you and your brother.'

Sesshoumaru chose not to comment as he glanced across at his step-mother. It was true that she had been a mother figure to him as a child and he was not proud of the fact that he had not always given her the respect she deserved. When his own mother had remarried and washed her hands of all childcare responsibilities, it had been Izayoi who insisted that Sesshoumaru come and live with them rather than going to a distant relative as his mother had planned. Izayoi had fussed over him and never once treated him any differently than she did her own son. It had always amazed Sesshoumaru that she had been able to do that but as he grew older, he realised that Izayoi was just a very kind person.

They had become very close, closer even than perhaps her relationship with Inuyasha. Sesshoumaru was more patient than his brother and more inclined to indulge his step-mother if she were to request anything. He couldn't remember how many hours he spent in the kitchen with her, doing his homework while at the same time taste testing her new meals.

Pushing fond memories from his mind, he looked down at Rin and gently nudged her awake. She sighed again but opened her eyes and smiled sleepily at him. Sesshoumaru lost count of the number of times that day she had taken his breath away, but added this moment to the list. Clearing his throat, he glanced around the room and was relieved to see that the rest of the family were all involved in getting themselves ready for to retire for the night.

'It's time to leave,' Sesshoumaru said quietly as he pushed himself upright.  
Rin stifled a yawn and nodded. 'I'll be glad to get into bed.'

It occurred to Sesshoumaru then that they hadn't discussed what they would do about their living arrangements. Looking over to Rin, he was surprised when she smiled knowingly. Getting to her feet, she tugged his hand and pulled him towards the door where Inutaisho and Izayoi were bidding the rest of the family goodnight.

'I don't care where the bed is,' Rin said quietly, slipping her hand into the crook of Sesshoumaru's arm as they walked towards the car.  
Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow as he glanced at her before opening the car door for her. 'You have no preference?'  
'None at all.'  
'You want me to make that decision?'  
Rin smiled cheerfully as she passed him and slipped into her seat. 'I have every confidence in your decision making abilities, _sir._ '

Shaking his head at the teasing tone in her voice, Sesshoumaru walked around to the other side of the car. Who'd have thought that Rin would have such a flirtatious side to her? Sighing to himself, he slid into the seat beside Rin and almost smiled at her expectant expression. There was only one place he wanted to take her and that was exactly where she was going since she had so kindly left the her sleeping arrangements entirely up to him. He knew she was waiting for an answer as to where they were going, but he decided against sharing that information. She would find out soon enough.


	13. Chapter 13

**AN:** Thank you for your reviews and apologies for the delay in updating.

The cliff hanger towards the end of the last chapter wasn't intentional - honestly! It just worked out quite well and I wanted to start the next part of their relationship in a new chapter.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

 **XIII**

Sunlight crept into the room and fell over Rin's face. Murmuring sleepily to herself, she rolled over and turned her back on the warm sunlight. She was far too warm and comfortable to even contemplate getting out of bed. Sighing contentedly, she snuggled further beneath the covers as she smiled to herself.

A quiet laugh caused her eyes to snap open in surprise. The low masculine pitch of the laugh sent a shiver down her spine and she froze in place as she took in her surroundings. Her bed sheets were not navy blue nor were they of such obvious good quality. Recalling her brazen declaration the night before, she gulped and slowly raised her eyes from where she had been staring intently at her hands.

Her gaze moved to an obviously male body clad in a black shirt that her hands clung to like a life line. She tried desperately to ignore the muscles the she could feel beneath the shirt as she slowly raised her eyes to meet Sesshoumaru's intense amber eyes. Rin felt suddenly breathless as she came face to face with yet another side of this man that she had not expected.

Sesshoumaru lay on his side beside her, head propped up on one hand and regarded her with an amused expression. His long silver hair hung loosely over his shoulders, slightly tousled. Biting her lip nervously, Rin realised that she was intimately pressed against him. Not quite sure where to go or what to say from that point, she mustered her courage and smiled slightly as she tried to ignore the blush that dusted her cheeks.

'So you like to cuddle in your sleep?' Sesshoumaru asked, a slight smile tugging the corner of his mouth as he looked at her.  
Rin's blush deepened and she dropped her gaze. 'It seems so.'

Her mind drifting back to the evening before, Rin recalled how she had fallen asleep in the car on the way back from Inutaisho and Izayoi's home. She vaguely remembered Sesshoumaru waking her up and guiding her up to his apartment, but the details were sketchy at best. Glancing down at herself, she discovered that she was clothed in a very large shirt that obviously belonged to Sesshoumaru. Quite how she came to be dressed in the shirt was a mystery that she decided she wasn't going to look into in any great depth until she had recovered from the shock of waking up face to face with the man who had just yesterday been her employer.

If she was totally honest with herself, it wasn't a bad way to wake up. His free hand rested on her hip, gently but firmly holding her in place. They lay so close together that she could feel her chest brush his with each breath which made her heart race.

'Is it not a bit too early in the day for such a serious expression?' Sesshoumaru asked, rolling onto his back and stifling a yawn before glancing at her.  
Rin couldn't help but smile at the sight of him. 'I was just trying to remember the details of how I came to be dressed in your shirt. If I'm not mistaken, it's the one you wore yesterday.'  
Raising his eyebrows in a rare show of surprise, Sesshoumaru rolled back onto his side and looked at Rin intently before plucking at the front of the shirt. 'How could you possibly know it's the one I wore yesterday?'  
'It smells of your cologne and there's an ink smudge of the cuff.'

Smirking at her observation, Sesshoumaru pulled her against his chest and gently ran a hand up her back. She shivered slightly and pressed herself closer. Sesshoumaru was still struggling to come to terms with the fact that the woman he had been secretly admiring for the past few months was lying beside him and looked quite content as she snuggled closer. It was surreal, but he was going to take full advantage of the situation.

Leaning towards her, Sesshoumaru nuzzled her neck gently and smirked as she shivered again. She didn't move away and relaxed after a moment. Taking that as permission to continue, he trailed his hand back down her side to rest on her hp. Much as he wanted to rip the covers away and run his hands all over her glorious body, Sesshoumaru knew that he had to bide his time. Rin never did anything in a hurry and she most certainly would not appreciate anything at the moment being hurried.

Sighing softly, Rin reached up and wrapped her arms around Sesshoumaru's shoulders when he paused. She knew that it wouldn't be wise to rush into intimate situations with this man, but she couldn't help it. Especially when his hand slipped beneath the hem of her shirt and started to drift upwards. Rin was well aware that Sesshoumaru was trying to ensure she felt at ease with the situation and as grateful as she was for his consideration, at that moment she wanted nothing more than to tell him to pick up the pace.

Taking a deep breath for courage, Rin leaned towards Sesshoumaru and brushed her lips gently against his cheek. He stiffened briefly before seeming to take the hint and taking her lips with his own. Unable to help herself, Rin smiled and pressed herself as close as possible as she lost herself in the moment.

Rolling onto his back, Sesshoumaru pulled Rin with him and slid his hands up her sides as she lay sprawled across his chest. Breaking their kiss to gasp for air, Rin smiled as she looked down at the man who lay beneath her. There was a faint pink tint to his usually pale complexion and she felt a rush of pride that it had been her that caused him that reaction. She shifted slightly and sat upright, allowing him to manoeuvre her so that she straddled his slim hips.

The urge to grin was almost overwhelming, but Sesshoumaru managed to contain it. Instead, he ran his hands up her sides again and urged her to lean towards him. Her lips were plump and tempting and he was desperate to taste them again, but his hopes were dashed the next moment as Rin froze in place.

'What is the meaning of this? Just what do you think you're doing, Sesshoumaru?' a harsh female voice broke through the silence, startling the bed's occupants.

Sesshoumaru turned his head slightly and saw a tall woman standing in his bedroom doorway, her arms crossed and a look of anger on her face. Sighing to himself, he wrapped his arms around Rin's waist and pushed himself up against the pillows. Ensuring that Rin was comfortably seated on his lap and that there was no chance of her escaping the circle of his arms, he turned towards the door and gave the woman a glare that had sent many running.

'I was enjoying my morning,' Sesshoumaru replied coldly, eyeing the woman with barely concealed distaste. 'Now that you have successfully ruined my chances of enjoying the morning further, would you care to explain why you are in my apartment? Perhaps you could also explain how you managed to get in?'

The tension in the room was thick but Rin wanted nothing more than to disappear. Almost as though he sensed her distress, Sesshoumaru gave her a brief squeeze and Rin sighed softly. There was no way he was going to let her go now and honestly, she didn't want to try and escape past the ferocious woman in the doorway. Deciding to make the best of the situation and enjoy his embrace, Rin leaned her head against his shoulder and forced herself to relax. She was rewarded with another squeeze.

'None of that is important,' the unknown woman said airily, waving a and dismissively. 'Who is this woman and where is Kagura?'  
Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow. 'This woman is my fiancée and I wouldn't have the faintest idea where Kagura is.'  
'Your fiancée?! When did this happen?'  
'Yesterday. If you are not here to congratulate us, Mother, I suggest you leave.'

Rin froze in place as she stared at the woman in the doorway. She couldn't have sworn that her heart stopped in shock. The woman in the doorway was every inch an aristocrat, but she was nothing like Sesshoumaru in either looks or personality.

'Why on earth would I congratulate you?' the older woman demanded, her gaze becoming positively glacial as she stared hard at Rin. 'You know very well that I had intended for you to marry Kagura.'  
Sesshoumaru shrugged a shoulder. 'You know very well that that was never going to happen.'  
'Your father has a lot to answer for. When I find him...'  
'You will moan and complain as normal but you won't touch him,' Sesshoumaru stated expressionlessly. 'Your threats are hollow, Mother. I suggest you leave.'  
'Let me guess, he approves of this?'  
'What difference would it make if he didn't? Do you really think that would have any impact on my decisions?'

The verbal battle continued and Rin could do nothing more than sit quietly, waiting for them to finish their argument. Her mind was still reeling from the news that this woman was Sesshoumaru's mother and although she felt that she probably should be offended by the fact that the woman clearly disapproved of her, she couldn't bring herself to feel anything other than vague amusement at the situation.

Sighing to herself, she made herself comfortable against Sesshoumaru and decided to observe her future husband. She had never really thought to ask why he never spoke of his mother, but it was painfully obvious now. It was strange to see Sesshoumaru so vocal, but he spoke in such a cold uncaring voice that Rin decided she would much prefer him to be quiet than speak to her like that. She didn't suppose he ever would speak to her in that tone of voice, but it wasn't pleasant to listen to even if it wasn't directed at herself.

Rin was pulled from her thoughts when she felt Sesshoumaru shift her to one side. She found herself gently deposited on the bed and watched with a frown as Sesshoumaru rose to his feet and approached his mother. He had reached the limit of his endurance and escorted her out of the room, presumably to the front door. Shaking her head slightly, Rin made herself comfortable on the bed and waited to see what Sesshoumaru would do next. Their intimate moment this morning was now ruined, but the memory of it made her smile. It was a step in the right direction.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

'I can't believe that woman!' Inutaisho exclaimed, his face a picture of outrage as he listened to the story later that day.  
'Yes, you can, dear. You know exactly what she's like,' Izayoi commented calmly, refilling everyone's cups with fresh tea. She smiled at Rin and patted her shoulder. 'Don't you worry about her. We love you and couldn't be happier that you are the one Sesshoumaru is marrying.'  
Inutaisho nodded in agreement. 'Exactly. Ignore the old witch. She's just trying make everyone else miserable because her marriage fell apart.'  
'Is that why she decided to try and make herself part of my life again after all these years?' Sesshoumaru asked in a voice that suggested he was bored with the conversation.  
'She's going through divorce proceedings at the moment, or so I hear,' Inutaisho commented with a shrug. 'Either way, it doesn't matter. You're going to marry Rin and that's the end of it. She will do anything to get her way though, so just be careful.'

Rin paused in the act of picking up her cup of tea as she heard Inutaisho's warning. The conversation continued around her as though the warning had never been voiced, but she felt a sudden apprehension. Picking up her cup, she sipped the hot drink as she thought over the situation.

She had never thought that Sesshoumaru's parents might have had different plans for him or that they might have had a preference for his wife. Glancing across the table, Inutaisho was deep in conversation with Sesshoumaru and Rin wondered what he really thought of her engagement to his son. He had openly encouraged her when she had admitted her intention to accept Sesshoumaru's proposal, but she was also aware that he was polite almost to a fault. If he didn't approve of her, would he have said anything?

'Come with me, Rin,' Izayoi said after a little while, getting to her feet and smiling at the younger woman. 'Let's leave these two to talk business.'

Sesshoumaru squeezed her hand in encouragement and Rin smiled slightly as she got to her feet. After giving him one more look over her shoulder, she followed her future mother-in-law out of the sitting room and into the library further down the corridor. Izayoi gestured for Rin to sit down on one of the enormous armchairs that sat beside the windows while she disappeared towards a row of shelves.

'Don't start questioning yourself,' Izayoi commented, her voice slightly muffled as she moved behind another row of shelves. 'That woman is a nasty piece of work. I have firsthand experience of it. She doesn't like not getting her own way and unfortunately for her, she only realised that after she had married Inutaisho.'

Rin remained silent, not sure what to say to that. What sort of reaction were you supposed to have when your future mother-in-law spoke of her husband's first wife? Deciding that it was best to remain silent, Rin shifted slightly in her chair and watched as Izayoi emerged from behind a shelf with a large book in her hands. The older woman smiled happily and sat down on the sofa in front of the window. Patting the seat beside her, she waited for Rin to join her before she spoke again.

'Sesshoumaru was seven years old when his parents divorced,' Izayoi said quietly and opened the book that Rin soon realised was a photo album. 'It was a long battle and the poor boy was passed between his parents regularly. His mother had found another man who easily let her have her way and since he was also wealthy, she had nothing to lose by divorcing Inutaisho and marrying him instead.'  
'I take it that Inutaisho didn't often let her have her own way?' Rin asked, looking at a photograph of an unsmiling Sesshoumaru aged about ten.  
Izayoi shrugged. 'Inutaisho is a very kind man but he doesn't tolerate any nonsense. Sesshoumaru's mother wanted all of the best things and wanted to go to all of the places where she could flaunt those things. Inutaisho had no interest in that. He worked hard to earn his money and he refused to spend it on useless material goods. Needless to say, that was where they clashed.'

Izayoi paused and followed Rin's gaze to the photograph. She smiled slightly and turned the page to reveal a photograph of herself and Inutaisho on their wedding day. Sesshoumaru was still aged about ten in the photograph and stood beside his father, his face marred by a scowl as he looked away from the camera.

'She was so angry when she realised that Inutaisho and I were going to get married,' Izayoi murmured with a vague smile. 'She called me every name under the sun and told everyone that it was my fault that they had divorced. Apparently Inutaisho had been having an affair with me whilst still married to her. It was all nonsense, of course.'  
Rin laughed quietly and sat back in her seat. 'Surely anyone who knew you both would know that it was lies? Neither of you strike me as the type of person who would do such a thing.'  
Izayoi shrugged and smiled. 'It made sense to her, somehow. Anyway, once she got married she decided that Sesshoumaru was a responsibility that she didn't want. She wasn't ever a particularly loving mother, but that was just one step too far. The plan was to send Sesshoumaru off to live with her mother or some other relative, but I refused to allow that. Inutaisho and I managed to get custody of Sesshoumaru and he stayed with us'  
'He's very lucky to have a step-mother like you,' Rin murmured thoughtfully before smiling at Izayoi. 'You're an amazing woman. I can see now why he cares so much about you.'  
'It took a long time for him to see me as anything other than his father's second wife, but we got there in the end. He and Inuyasha fought so much as children that it was a nightmare sometimes, but despite their teasing and sometimes harsh words, they're actually very close.'

The pair sat in silence for a long while as they looked through the photographs. Rin smiled as she thought about the love that these family members had for each other. It was ridiculous to think that this woman could waltz into their lives and thing she had a say in what happened.

'The point of all this was just to tell you that Sesshoumaru will always side with you,' Izayoi said with a smile, closing the album and taking Rin's hand. 'His mother appears every so often and tries to tell him what to do, that she knows what's best. It always causes a bit of ill feeling, but her plans never work. Whatever she had tried to do this time hasn't worked so far and Sesshoumaru won't let her do anything to you.'  
Rin smiled. 'I know he wouldn't, but it's hard not to be a little bit uneasy about it all.'  
'Of course, that's understandable. Just remember that Sesshoumaru chose you and he doesn't let go of things he cares about without a fight.'


End file.
